The Mated Pair
by ClairefromAyr
Summary: Part three of the Mating Bond Trilogy, following on from part two - The Tie that Binds. The final test of their bond awaits...warnings for blood letting, non-con, explicit sex, vampcest etc
1. Chapter 1

Ok guys, loving all the ideas you sent me. Think I've got something…

"Previously on the vampire diaries…" etc hahaha.

CHAPTER 27

It had been six months since he and Stefan had decided to stay in Mystic Falls and live out their lives here together. They had had such good intentions, such hope despite the fact that Elena was clearly something mystical in origin so was bound to attract trouble of the supernatural persuasion (given her identical resemblance to Katherine) and the knowledge that a few feet below ground, behind walls of stone, lay a group of famished and vengeful vampires waiting to get out. Had they been stupid to think that they could protect their friends here? Perhaps. Everything had gotten so out of control quite soon after. Bonnie's grandmother had died after suffering a long period of lethargy after Logan Fell's little coup out in the woods. As Stefan and Damon had been so occupied with each other and life and death as usual, they had missed it all. Once Damon had come back into his body fully, Stefan whisked him away for a few weeks to New York to revitalise and check in with Anne and Michael. It had been just what they'd needed. They hadn't had to worry about protecting their secret and they could talk about it freely and swap information.

Anne had heralded their continuing survival as nothing short of miraculous. Although they were both fine now and strong again, it hadn't stopped Stefan's paranoia and determination that they should prepare for something like this again. As far as Damon had been concerned, something was eventually going to separate them – that was life and they shouldn't stop living simply because they feared death or separation. Anne had agreed with both of them on the matter and had disclosed that she and Michael kept supplies of each other's blood for every eventuality too. They had been regularly storing their blood for so long now that should something happen to one of them, the other would be able to live a long time before it would be a problem. Now that they knew that drinking from another mated pair would break the bond without causing death to the person consuming the new blood, they had began to discuss setting up a network with the others they were in touch with. Changing times called for harder measures and the topic of sharing blood samples to protect the bonds was a volatile topic. Some of their friends had vehemently denied any discussion of sharing their blood with others due to fear of breaking their own bond and killing their mate in the process.

Anne had begun to discuss an agreement of trust and procedure in an occasion where someone's mate was dying because of separation. If someone would donate their mated blood to this vampire they must be in full contact at that time to ensure that as their blood was being consumed, they could consummate their bond at that moment also to ensure that their own mate wouldn't become ill. It had been complicated and confusing at times and there had been a lot of arguments as Stefan and Damon had listened on. It had felt so strange to be the youngsters of the conversation. They had met only two other couples with Anne and Michael, one of which had also known Marcela and Erica – which made Stefan feel connected to them. Even amongst others of their 'kind' they had felt the enormity of their story affecting the others. They were the only ones to have survived a broken bond almost twice. Anne had discussed with them the likely hood that Damon had indeed been ripped in two by Bonnie's spell. She was amazed that they'd found their way back to each other.

After two weeks of learning and being welcomed into their small community, they decided to head home. Before they left, Anne had pulled them both aside and had given them something they were only to use if it became absolutely necessary for their survival – a small bottle of her blood. They had both been awed by her confidence in them. The fact that she trusted them enough to allow them to take this from her and risk her own bond again, was earth shattering to them both. In return they had given her some of theirs too, unable to think of a better way to thank her. If things worked out as she planned there would be a get out for those whose mates were killed someday. At the moment this was the only way and she wanted to encourage that trust in others by being an example.

Damon sighed thinking on all of it as he closed his eyes and breathed in the cool air and smell of the freshly cut flowers at the cemetery. It seemed so long ago that all of their life and death experiences had happened. The shit had hit the fan again when they got back. The tomb hadn't been properly closed down by Bonnie and Sheila and had in fact had a small area within that had been released so everyone in the tomb got out anyway and had gone on killing sprees and rampages. After all the years of waiting for Katherine she hadn't even been there after all. He'd not known how to reconcile his feelings about that and Stefan had been more attentive during that time, making love more often and reaffirming his devotion. People had died despite their efforts to protect everyone. Tyler Lockwood had become a werewolf, Caroline a vampire – as she had been in a car accident caused by Tyler and Elena had begged Damon to feed her some of his blood. Katherine had rolled into town and killed Caroline while his blood was still in her. Stefan had taken on the duty of caring for her and helping her control her urges, which was so ironic as to be hilarious. Relationships were good though. He and Rick had become firm friends and regularly got together. Then Klaus arrived and everything went to hell.

Klaus. A name Damon was so tired of hearing spoken in fear that he could tear his own hair out. Klaus had changed everything. Everything…

"We're going to head back to the house." Stefan said coming up behind him as Damon stared off into the distance. This cemetery was so vast, so full of loss. Funny how Damon had never thought of how macabre it was really, all these markers of people who were gone, lost to their loved ones. It was like being in the middle of an ocean of death. Apt that he should be here right now, as he felt the throbbing in his arm swell. He'd been doing well to hide it from Stefan today. Stefan had been so wrapped up in helping Elena after everything that'd happened.

"I think I'll skip the coffee and tea cakes." He said seriously, feeling empty. Stefan touched his shoulder, feeling some of the emotion Damon was trying so hard to block.

"Damon she needs us right now. She'll forgive you, you just have to give her time."

"That's not our main problem Stefan. We need to get a plan together and fast." Klaus was still out there somewhere and he could come back and happen upon Elena anytime. They had to have a plan. He winced in pain as his arm throbbed and Stefan raised his eyebrows quizzically.

"I'm not going to let her lose anyone else."

"I wouldn't make any promises Stefan."

"What does that mean?"

"Tyler Lockwood bit me." He finally admitted and rolled his shirt sleeve up as Stefan grabbed him and looked down in shock and dismay.

"We'll find something…a cure." Stefan stumbled holding his arm tight and Damon smiled and shook his head.

"There is no cure, we know that."

"There has to be. I'll talk to Bonnie…"

"Stefan." Damon cupped his cheek and kissed him as Stefan grabbed him closer in grief. "There's a cure for you." He whispered as he rubbed their noses together. Stefan pulled back from him abruptly.

"No!"

"It's the only way to protect you. There's no cure for this. I am going to die. You need to take Anne's blood and sever your connection to me." Damon was so calm as he spoke. Stefan fell to pieces in front of him, full of emotion and anger. Damon sent him thoughts of strength for Elena and flicked his eyes towards the crowd of their friends mourning around her. Stefan had to be strong for her today and not fall apart. Damon squeezed his shoulders and Stefan nodded with difficulty. Damon left him there and headed home.

The whole next day Damon spent locked in the cellar as Stefan fretted and Damon tried to end it. The pain and confusion was making it difficult to think. He just wanted it to be over. Stefan had stayed in the cellar with him under Elena's watchful eye as Stefan had fed him, hoping their blood might help, but Damon couldn't keep anything down.

"Drink!" Stefan cried and Damon tried his best but knew it was hopeless. He groaned and coughed violently, spitting up some of his own blood. "Damon we said we weren't going to die anymore remember? You can't die, you promised me!"

"We had an agreement." Damon said tired and Stefan pressed their foreheads together. "You made me promise if you died I would live…"

"No…" Stefan began to argue as tears rolled down his face.

"It was your rule." Damon pointed out and Stefan shook his head and lay them both down as Stefan climbed on top of him and began to scent him.

"Elena?" Damon called and she came to the window, teary eyed. "Back there behind you is a safe…" Stefan shot up in protest.

"No!"

"Go in and type in 1,8,6,4." Damon continued as Stefan shook his head. "Bring the bottle to me."

"I'm not going to take it, do you hear me?!" Stefan stood up angrily and shook his head at Elena. She looked at Damon grieved as she realised that it must be Anne's blood. Damon wanted Stefan to drink it and separate them so he could die and Stefan could live.

"Elena no!" Stefan said firmly and she felt torn. Damon groaned and coughed violently, curling into himself and Stefan forgot his anger and lay down with him again, licking his neck and throat to comfort him. Damon was sweating so much as pain rolled through him. Stefan could barely keep up with cleansing him. He pulled Damon's arm away to inspect it and made a sound of anguish as it grew angrily before his eyes. Damon shook and cried out as it grew and Stefan lowered his mouth to it and began to lick there. Damon was so sensitive to the touch that he pulled a little to retrieve his arm but Stefan held him firmly and began to scent it, hoping that it would help. Damon began to weep as the pain shook him again and Elena began to cry, opening the cellar bolt and stepping inside. She couldn't stand out there and watch any longer. Damon was in no fit state to escape now. She knelt down and tried to comfort him as Stefan battled on against the infection spreading, pouring some of his blood onto it to see if it would retreat.

"Elena…" A tear rolled down Damon's face as she stroked his cheek. "Don't let him die. Make him take it, please."

"I promise." She said and he nodded and closed his eyes. He seemed to calm for a minute and she stroked his face lovingly. He opened his eyes again and squinted?

"Katherine?" He asked confused and both she and Stefan looked at him in worry. "Wait for me…Katherine!" He said full of emotion and reached out his hands towards her as she moved backwards in shock.

"Damon it's me, it's Elena." She said looking towards Stefan. Stefan held Damon's face and turned it back towards him to look into his eyes and Damon gazed up at him.

"Brother, why aren't you in the stables at this hour?" Damon asked him and Stefan choked and leaned down to hold Damon to him. Damon was confused and pushed back at him as he tried to rub their noses together.

"What are you doing?" Damon said and Stefan bowed his head and let out a sob as Elena came behind him and pulled him away. Damon closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately and Elena guided Stefan out into the hallway. He was distraught.

"Stefan, I think you should take Anne's blood, before the pain starts." She soothed, stroking through his hair. He shook his head.

"I'm not giving up yet. Bonnie's looking for something, anything." He replied.

"Stefan…" She began but he gave her a look of finality and she shut her mouth again. Damon was hallucinating. He might not have much time. Stefan's cell wrang and he pulled it out immediately.

"Bonnie?" He answered and listened as Elena's heart beat loudly in her ears. He nodded and shut the phone. "She's going to the house where the witches were killed. She's thinks they could help. I'm going with her. Stay with him. Tell him there's still hope." He said and she nodded, watching him run up the stairs. She walked back into the cellar to look at Damon. He already looked practically dead. She held herself shivering and turned to look at the door behind her. She opened it, surprised to find it unlocked and entered. There were shelves lining the room full of bottles of blood, some with white caps and some with red. The room was refrigerated and her teeth chattered as she looked around. She had no idea what they were until she opened one and sniffed it. It smelled like Bergamot. This was their blood she realised and she put the lid back on and placed it back. She shook her head in grief. They had prepared for a lot of problems separating them but not for a wolf bite. Nothing could be done about that. She spied the safe and approached it, typing in the number. It opened easily and revealed a small bottle about the size of a coke can. She lifted it up and opened it. It smelled a little like oranges too. She carefully replaced it in the safe and locked it again secure. If the time came and Stefan still refused, she had to make sure she could pour it into him. She'd probably need Rick's help to hold him. She wasn't going to let Stefan die, not after everything they'd been through, not after everything Damon had been through to keep them alive.

She went back to Damon and pulled him into her lap, dabbing his forehead of sweat with her handkerchief as he groaned and mumbled incoherently. She'd grown so close to Damon. She couldn't bear to think of him really dying. She sobbed silently as she held him and waited for Stefan and Bonnie to find help.

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"The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal and I'll do whatever you want." Stefan gasped as Klaus scraped against his heart with a dagger inside of his ribcage in merriment. Stefan gagged and clung to his arms to stay upright. Klaus tilted his head and smiled in amusement as he pulled the dagger out from him again and let Stefan crumple to the floor groaning in pain and holding himself.

He leaned against the countertop smiling as Stefan pulled himself together gasping. He began to detail all about Stefan's old ripper nature and how impressed he'd been at the activities as Stefan hung his head in torment.

"I haven't been that person for a very long time." Stefan rasped and Klaus chuckled.

"Well that's a pity, because that's exactly the kind of vampire I could use. One that I might spare." Klaus's eyes gleamed and Stefan looked up at him. "That's the kind of talent I could use when I leave this town. Katerina come here."

Katherine approached apprehensively and Stefan looked to her as Klaus bit into her wrist savagely making her cry out and hold arm in fear as the venom entered her bloodstream.

"No!" She cried in disbelief and Stefan gulped. Klaus looked at Stefan pointedly and bit into his own wrist, thrusting it to her mouth as she struggled. Stefan watched in amazement as her wrist healed completely. He gasped as he and Katherine looked to each other.

"Your blood is the cure." Stefan said and Klaus smiled knowingly.

"What do you want from me?" He asked with foreboding.

"A decade of your time, by my side on my travels."

"You want me to come with you?"

"I'm tiring of this little town and I want to find more werewolves. It's time I started to make my own family." Stefan looked towards where Elijah had been slumped a few minutes before and Klaus's smile widened.

"Sometimes blood is thinner than water Stefan and I intended to cross a lot of ocean to make my new family. You are going to help me find them." Klaus said confidently. He put his arm around Stefan's shoulder. "You wanna save your brother…oops sorry…husband?" Klaus joked. Stefan tightened his expression and looked to Katherine again. She had told him about their real relation. Of course she had.

"How about a decade long bender?" Klaus smiled, his teeth flashing at them. Stefan tensed. He couldn't. Without Damon he couldn't feed. Klaus took in his reticence and shook his head in disappointment. "You sure? I hear the pain of a werewolf bite is enough to drive someone mad. Poor darling Damon."

Stefan gulped and squeezed his eyes closed. Elena knew where Anne's blood was now. If Stefan left with Klaus, Damon could be cured of the bite and then Elena could give him Anne's blood to drink to sever their connection. Without Damon's blood he would starve and desiccate but at least if Damon drank Anne's blood then he would break the bond to him and survive. Stefan exhaled and looked at Klaus nodding. Klaus would probably stake him soon enough when he realised Stefan was ailing. It could work out ok. He would die but Klaus would lose his partner in crime and Damon would get to live.

"Excellent!" Klaus chimed, moving to a drawer and removing a knife. He grabbed an empty jar and cut his wrist over it, filling it with his precious blood. Stefan watched with baited breath until it was full. Klaus looked over at him and raised his eyebrows.

"Ready?"

Stefan nodded and reached out for the jar but Klaus tutted and shook his head.

"Katerina, take this to Damon will you and come right back?" Klaus turned and gave her the bottle. She perked up immediately and took it as Stefan looked to her in anguish. She was on vervain now and he knew she couldn't be compelled. She'd leave and never come back. She didn't care about anyone but herself. She blurred out of the apartment and Stefan panicked.

"She's on vervain! She'll never take it to him!" He cried and Klaus shrugged and smiled. Stefan panted in fear and tried to move towards the door when Klaus grabbed him and threw him to the floor.

"We had a deal."

"Please, let me make sure…" Stefan started.

"No. We are leaving now dear Stefan. I have every faith that Katerina will save your…hmmmmn. I just keep forgetting which one it is. Do you actually think of him as a brother _and_ your lover?"

"Please…" Stefan begged.

"Doesn't it feel strange when he's inside you, that you are brothers? Or was it only when you'd turned that you looked at his body differently? I'm genuinely intrigued." Klaus was enjoying every moment of this as Stefan sweated and pulled at his hair.

"Does his blood taste the same as yours? You have Katherine in you as well as the blood of your parents so it must taste similar."

"Stop it!" Stefan fumed and Klaus smiled and closed his mouth. "Just let me go to him, just for an hour then I'll come back and leave with you." Klaus hummed and rubbed his chin thinking on it as Stefan sweated.

"One hour. If you don't come back I will kill Damon in front of you." Klaus turned serious and Stefan knew he meant it. He nodded in agreement and blurred out back towards the boarding house. He ran as fast as he could and got to the front door as Katherine was leaving smirking.

"You gave it to him?" He panted in disbelief and she smiled sweetly.

"I owed him one. If I were you I'd get down there quickly and reassert my role. Looks like Elena has a little crush there. I'd be concerned if I were you. They looked pretty cosy when I went in."

"What?" Stefan frowned and she made a kissing simulation. His eyes widened and she nodded in affirmation.

"You best kiss those pretty lips of his and get rid of her scent on him." She raised her eyebrows and he shook his head. "I've seen gayer men turn straight for girls like her."

Stefan pushed past her in disgust and ran down to the basement. He could hear Elena cooing at Damon as he entered the cellar and looked in. Damon was in her lap, his head against her chest as she stroked his forehead. His eyes were open and his colour was returning. Damon looked over at him and sighed and Elena smiled in relief.

"You did it!" She cried happily and Stefan frowned at the way she was holding Damon. He shook himself out of it and knelt down to him.

_Pain?_

_It's getting better._

_I love you._

Damon smiled and reached out for him and Stefan leaned in and gathered him in his arms from Elena and carried him up to their bed. He lay him down gently and began to remove Damon's clothes. Elena followed and he turned to look at her suspiciously. She stopped in her tracks at his strange expression.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah. Could you give us a moment?"

"Yeah, of course." She said feeling odd and looked to Damon again as Damon looked to her with raised eyebrows. Stefan growled under his breath surprising them both and she turned and left the room feeling a little rejected and confused. He turned to Damon and Damon shot him a quizzical look.

_What the hell was that?_

_Nothing._

"Stefan…?" Damon said but Stefan resumed removing Damon's clothing until he was naked.

"I'm too tired for a bath." Damon sighed and Stefan stroked his face.

_No bath._

Stefan channelled to him and climbed onto the bed next to him. Damon realised he wanted to cleanse him and he turned towards him happily as Stefan began to lick at his neck and throat. It was always so wonderfully intimate to be scented and Damon felt his health returning as Stefan licked his skin and kissed him tenderly. Stefan made it his mission to comfort Damon and mark him for the last time in the precious time they had left before he had to return to Klaus. As he licked he could smell Elena on him, around his mouth and it made him all the more urgent in his scenting. Katherine was right, Elena had kissed him. Stefan kissed his mouth, pushing his tongue inside desperately.

_What did you do?_

_I went to Klaus. His blood was the cure._

_And he just gave it to you?_

_I have to run some errands for him out of state. It'll only take a week._

"What?!" Damon's sprang open and he sat up breaking the kiss.

"It was the only way. It's ok, I'll be fine."

"What are you talking about? You can't leave!" Damon became emotional and Stefan held him in an embrace.

"I'll be back in a week. I'll take some bottles with me. There are plenty for you. Don't worry." Stefan pulled back and kissed around Damon's cheeks and mouth again to reassure him. Damon shook his head. "It's only a week." Stefan cooed, stroking Damon's hair from his face.

"That's all?" Damon breathed.

"Yes."

Damon calmed a little and Stefan resumed scenting his body, enjoying every curve and ripple of his muscles. Damon hummed and tilted into his mouth as he relaxed. Once Stefan was satisfied and Damon was flushed with love and desire, he sat up and leaned over him.

"You need to feed." Stefan said gently and Damon parted his lips. Stefan guided him up to his neck and Damon bit down and drank. Stefan kept the switch off in fear of letting Damon into his mind. He couldn't know that they were never going to see each other again. Damon moaned in pleasure and Stefan squeezed him tightly, placing a kiss on his shoulder and stroking his skin.

_My Damon._

_Hmmmmn._

Once Damon was full and healthy looking from the feed Stefan lay him back down again.

"Sleep."

"When are you leaving?" Damon yawned and Stefan rose from the bed and covered him with a blanket.

"Soon. The sooner I go the quicker I'll be back." Stefan replied tight lipped. Damon frowned.

"I'll call you." Stefan assured and walked towards the door. He turned back and looked towards Damon again as Damon let out an unhappy sound. "I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

If only Damon hadn't gotten bitten that night. After Stefan had left he discovered that Klaus was gone too. He felt on edge. Stefan didn't call. After a week he'd had began to search for him desperately. Stefan had only taken enough of his blood to last him around a week so now he'd be hungry somewhere in god knows what condition. He had tried to call out to him through their connection but it was a dead line. Elena had comforted him, tried to help him search for clues as to where Stefan might be. All too soon bodies had started to appear and he knew. Stefan was the culprit. Rick had been a huge support as usual and helped Damon check out a few of the murder sites. They'd stumbled across a house filled with bodies which had been torn apart and placed back together again. Damon was filled with grief and fear over what that meant. Had Stefan turned it off?

Even if he had, he still needed to feed. It was clear that Stefan wasn't drinking the blood of the victims. Damon knew he couldn't anyway but it was still very evident. What was Klaus thinking of that development? It couldn't have escaped his notice.

Elena's 18th birthday came along and Damon tried everything he could to be as normal for her as possible. She was with him every day to ease him in his agony and he wanted to give her her day. It was clear how much she loved Stefan still, but there was something else in her of late that he'd noticed. The day he'd been dying from the werewolf bite she had been so tender and had kissed him as he lay dying, breathing his last few breaths before Katherine barged in. He hadn't known what to think of that and now that they were spending more time together he was finding himself affected by her. She wasn't Stefan, no, but she was a comfort, a shining light in his misery. She made him feel better. She'd practically moved in after Damon had found Stefan and Stefan had threatened him and told him to leave and never look for him again.

Stefan had been so changed, so hard and sure that he didn't want him anymore. Damon had tried to argue, brought up their bond but Stefan had attacked him, taking his fill of Damon's blood before abandoning him while unconscious. Damon had woken alone and Stefan was gone again. He made it home and fell into a deep depression only Elena seemed to be able to sway. He knew Stefan didn't mean it. Stefan would never want to leave him. He was obviously being the hero again and trying to convince Damon enough to stop trying to save him from Klaus.

Something would happen soon that would change things. Stefan would starve and Klaus wouldn't understand why. Damon knew it was inevitable. What he didn't know was whether it would make Klaus come back here. If he did he would discover that Elena was alive still and it would be back to square one. He had to protect Elena now. He decided to wait until he felt the cramps begin before he would take Anne's blood. He might not be able to reach Stefan telepathically anymore but at least he would know for sure if Stefan had passed. He'd know and he could decide his action then. Elena kept trying to get him to take the blood now but he wanted whatever was left of their connection to remain until the very end, not a moment before.

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Stefan shivered as he retched into the toilet bowl. He'd accidentally swallowed some of his victim's blood today. He groaned miserable. He shouldn't have fed on Damon when he'd found him. It had just made his body last longer. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible, but he hadn't been able to fight the smell of Damon's skin. It was almost as though Damon's body had vented the intense smell out at him, just for him and he'd caved and drank till Damon was unconscious. He hated hurting him and leaving him like that but Damon was going to get himself killed. He'd had to put the best act on of his life as he told Damon to stay away and get over it. Damon had to be convinced that Stefan had turned it off and would really kill him or he wouldn't stop trying to get him back. Damon needed to live and Elena needed to be protected. He had smelled her all over Damon and it had fuelled his performance for Damon as he boiled inside. It smelled as though she was around him constantly, touching him. For all Stefan knew they were sharing a bed!

He groaned and stood up looking in the mirror. Klaus was watching him like a hawk. He knew there was something not quite right. Stefan's supply of Damon's blood was long gone and he had to last until they far enough away from Mystic Falls before Klaus realised he'd been foiled into thinking he had a partner in crime. He had to hold on a couple more days. He splashed his face with water and straightened himself out as he left the bathroom. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Klaus sitting in a chair facing him with an intrigued expression.

"Feeling ill Stefan?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan held his face blank.

"Thought I heard you throwing up." Klaus steepled his fingers against his mouth as he racked his eyes over Stefan's attire.

"Not unless you've been sneaking your venom into my food." Stefan said calmly and moved around the room to change his shirt. Klaus stayed silent watching him.

"That's the strange thing Stefan."

"Hmmmn?"

"I don't actually see you feed these days. You look pale today. Don't tell me you have an eating disorder." Klaus smiled but his eyes could burn holes in the stars themselves. Stefan tensed.

"When you sacrifice someone's best friend and ask them to leave their partner behind without any explanation, it tends to make people a little disinterested in eating or comfort." Stefan bit out and Klaus nodded.

"Hmmm." Klaus sounded and Stefan resumed dressing, hoping he'd bought it. Stefan turned around again buttoning his shirt and Klaus threw a blood bag to him. He caught it and looked to him.

"Drink it."

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh I think you are Stefan. I know a starving vampire when I see one. Now drink." Klaus pushed and Stefan opened his mouth to argue but Klaus blurred to him and pressed him back against the wardrobe. "Drink it now. There's a good boy."

Stefan stared him out and Klaus stepped back and brushed Stefan's shirt down calmly. Stefan looked to the blood bag and swallowed. This was it, the moment of truth. Stefan would vomit, Klaus wouldn't understand why and he'd probably kill him for being diseased and useless. Stefan took a deep breath, praying that Damon was far away back at home and that Klaus wouldn't think to go back there. He twisted the top of the bag off and the smell hit his nose. He tried his hardest not to have a facial reaction. Klaus was watching slowly as he tilted the bag into his mouth and sucked in a large gulp from it. It tasted vile and he swallowed with great difficulty.

"All of it." Klaus said threateningly as Stefan brought the bag away from his mouth warily. He put it back to his lips and tried to imagine that it was Damon's blood. _Sweet oranges sweet oranges sweet oranges….uuuuuuhhhh fuck…sweet oranges…Damon. My Damon…_As he swallowed the whole bag he chanted in his head but it didn't help and no sooner had he tossed the empty bag aside, he dashed for the bathroom and threw up. The violence of the vomiting was so much so that he crumpled to the floor afterwards and breathed. Klaus walked slowly into the bathroom and looked down at him with a blank expression. Stefan closed his eyes and waited.

"It seems you've been keeping secrets mate." Klaus said coolly and Stefan groaned and retched again. "I've been around a long time Stefan. I've seen a lot of strange things, met strange people…"

Stefan looked up at him as he broke into a sweat. Klaus knelt down and pulled Stefan's ear to his mouth.

"I know what you are." Klaus purred and Stefan felt every hair on his body stand up.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan groaned and Klaus dropped him back onto the floor in a heap and left the bathroom. Stefan crawled to his feet and followed him in fear. Klaus was making a phone call.

"Yip, now." Klaus clicked the phone off.

"What are you doing?"

"We had an arrangement that you would give me a decade to help me build my army…"

"I thought you wanted a family." Stefan pointed out and Klaus smiled.

"You say potato…in any case you're no use to me like this. I need the ripper."

"You've got me. Haven't I ripped apart enough innocent people for you so far?!"

"It's easy to rip apart humans Stefan. Whole different ball games with werewolves. I need you strong."

"What are you saying?" Stefan's head spun and Klaus sat down.

"I'm old Stefan. I'm not as stupid as you think. I know the symptoms when I see them. I knew you wouldn't have fallen in love with your brother intentionally."

"I don't think anyone sets out to fall in love intentionally." Stefan clenched his teeth.

"True, but certainly not you two. I know what you are."

"And what is that?" Stefan stepped forward and Klaus smiled widely and stood up to face him. Klaus sighed jovially and put his hands on Stefan's shoulders before promptly breaking his neck and letting him crumple to the floor.

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_Dear Diary,_

_Today I feel like…Recently…_

_I'm so worried. I never seem to find a time when I feel anything other than that, especially since Damon has been feeding less and less. I don't know why he's doing it to himself because I know how many bottles of Stefan's blood there are in that cellar, but despite that he's drinking hardly any. I've appealed to him just to take Anne's blood. He said Stefan made it clear he wasn't coming back so that can only mean that Stefan's going to starve himself too. Damon won't take Anne's blood because if he does, Stefan will feel pain and desiccate, but it'll happen to Stefan anyway so…It's so frustrating. It's hard to think of that happening to Stefan, for me to want it to happen but I can't lose them both not again. If I have to choose one of them to live, Damon is the one who is with me right now and Stefan is off killing innocent people._

_Recently, Damon has needed me and I've found myself craving his company. It's strange to feel like I'm betraying Stefan a little. I do still love him and even though Damon is Stefan's and I'm feeling as though I'm becoming more attracted to him. Today Damon said he would help me with setting up a few pranks at school. It's our tradition and Caroline won't let me back out. Caroline's been trying to keep me occupied and I'm thankful but I feel like there are better things I could be doing today. Thank god Damon said he'd help me so at least I can keep an eye on him._

Elena sat back against the bleachers and closed her journal, packing it away as she heard Darren and Louise come down the hall. They were helping her set up the gym today.

"Hey!" Louise piped and she smiled. "I brought some snappers to line the floor."

"Brilliant." Elena smiled and stood up to take the box from her and have a look inside.

"We better get a move on before the beast comes by and we have hardly started." Darren smirked referring to Caroline and they all laughed.

They set the box down and started. After ten minutes the gym hall was looking quite good and Elena stood up to stretch out. It was hard work and she felt thirsty. She headed outside texting Damon to find out if he had bailed or whether he was actually going to come and lend her a hand. He replied with lightning speed that he was on his way. She smiled and tucked her cell back into her pocket as she reached the water fountain and leaned down to drink from it.

"Hello sweetheart."

She looked up suddenly in fright and gasped, throwing herself backwards as Klaus gave her a wide predatory grin.

"Klaus!" She said in fear.

"You're supposed to be dead." He said calmly, looking her over. Elena didn't know how to respond as she edged backwards. He blurred to her, grabbing her and she screamed.

"You see lovely Elena, this is starting to make sense to me now. You were supposed to die and I was supposed to be able to make others like me, but they've been dying and I haven't known why. Now, I know it's because you are still alive." He growled and she began to cry in fear.

"Let her go!" Stefan shouted, running down the hallway towards them. Elena looked to him in relief.

"You knew she was still alive. Even more secrets Stefan. I might just have to take out my wrath on Damon." Stefan stopped in his tracks as Elena shot him a look of fear and panic. Klaus knew about Damon, she knew it.

"Please…" She begged, unsure of whether she was begging for her life or Damon's.

"I want to make hybrids Elena. How am I going to do that with you walking around still breathing?"

"How do you know that killing her will help? We don't know anything!" Stefan pointed out heatedly.

"True." Klaus considered, cocking his head. He leaned his face into Elena's and she recoiled. "Where is Tyler?" He asked sweetly and her eyes widened.

"I don't know." She stumbled and he ripped the vervain necklace from her throat and asked her again.

"He's down the hall with Caroline." She said robotically.

"What are you doing?" Stefan braved.

"Bring Tyler to me or I'll break every bone in her body. We are going to try a little experiment." Stefan stood still and Klaus turned to glare at him in order. Stefan looked to Elena again in fear. He knew Klaus would do it. He gulped and backed away before turning and running to look for Tyler.

"Now, tell me Elena…how have you been?" Klaus asked politely as he guided her back into the gym hall. Louise and Darren looked up and he smiled at them as Elena tried to pretend that she was ok.

"How's Damon been lately? A little under the weather?" She looked at him trying to keep her face blank and he smiled and leaned into her ear. "Don't worry, I know what they are." He whispered and she tensed. "It's been a little inconvenient of late. Where would Damon be? He's not at home you see, because we were just there."

"He's out of town looking for Stefan." She lied tensing and Klaus chuckled.

"Lying isn't one of your strong points is it? Damon wouldn't leave you unprotected in case I came back here. So where is he?"

"Right here." Damon spoke as he entered the hall and Elena looked to him in fear. He gave her a reassuring wink and walked towards Klaus confidently.

"Ah Damon at last. I require your assistance." Klaus smiled happily, folding his arms across his chest. Elena made to move and he shot her a look of warning. "If you move an inch I will kill your friends." He looked towards Louise and Darren who had stopped what they were doing and were now looking at them all quizzically. He turned back to Damon again. Damon looked cool and confident.

"What do you want?" Damon asked and Klaus walked towards him slowly. Damon didn't flinch at all as Klaus leaned into his personal space.

"Stefan is hungry Damon. So hungry he's useless right now." He whispered into Damon's ear.

"And?" Damon said bluntly.

"Damon how dumb do you think I am? Do you really think that in all of my time on earth I haven't come across a mated pair before?" Klaus laughed and Damon held himself tight as he panicked internally. "Now, I've been trying to remember how this goes. I kill you and he dies. I kill him and you die too right? I need him right now, so that means your pathetic life is technically safe." Damon gulped.

"Seems you've got it all figured out."

"You're going to come with us and feed him." Damon turned to look at him as Klaus pulled back to look at his expression.

"No." Damon said calmly. "I'm not a happy meal on legs."

"Why would you want to stay here? To protect her?" Klaus laughed looking at Elena. Damon bit his lip. "She'll be dead in a minute anyway mate."

"Wait!" Stefan shouted pushing Tyler into the gym. Damon closed his eyes as he felt his body vibrate at Stefan's proximity. Everyone turned to look. Klaus blurred towards Tyler and tore into his own wrist, force feeding him blood and snapping his neck before anyone could blink. Stefan and Damon moved back startled and Elena screamed as Louise and Darren huddled closer together in fear. Klaus turned back to them all smiling and looked to Stefan.

"Kill those two." He pointed towards Louise and Darren.

"No! Please!" Elena shouted.

"Now Stefan." Klaus growled and Stefan gulped and looked towards them. "Do it or I'll tear one of Damon's arms off." He threatened and Stefan and Damon made eye contact.

_I'm sorry, so sorry so sorry_

Stefan channelled to him and Damon exhaled.

_Don't do it Stefan._

Stefan bit his lip in frustration and Klaus blurred to Damon and broke his arm. Damon screamed and Klaus tripped him onto his knees still holding Damon's arm firmly. Stefan took a step towards them as Damon breathed in pain and looked down at the floor.

"Your mate or them Stefan." He pulled on Damon's arm and Damon choked fighting against the pain. Stefan's heart battered in his rib cage.

_Damon, Damon Damon_

_No Stefan!_

Klaus pulled his arm again and Damon screamed as the tendons in his shoulder tore. Elena was sobbing.

"No!" Stefan shouted and dashed over to Louise and Darren and broke their necks swiftly. Elena screamed and fell to the floor to touch their bodies as she sobbed. Stefan stepped back in horror and guilt and Klaus released Damon's arm finally. Damon panted in pain and cradled his arm. Tyler sat up abruptly gasping in fear and Klaus walked over to him happily.

"Morning mate. I bet you're hungry."

"Why are you doing this?" Elena sobbed as Tyler stood up shakily, trying to figure out what was happening. Stefan went to Damon protectively and Damon looked up at him in pain. Stefan leaned down and rubbed their noses together, oblivious to what was unfolding around them.

_I'm so sorry, he knows about us. I thought he'd just kill me._

_Elena…_

Stefan snapped out of his reverie and followed Damon's line of sight as Klaus pulled her from the floor and dragged her across to Tyler. Before Stefan could react Damon was on his feet and trying to stop Klaus. Klaus kicked Damon back flying into a wall at the opposite end of the hall and Stefan felt torn between going to him or Elena. Klaus looked at Stefan knowingly and Stefan went to Damon as Klaus bit into Elena's wrist and put it to Tyler's' mouth.

_Stefan what are you doing?! Get Elena!_

Elena cried out as Tyler drank some mouthfuls and then Klaus pushed her onto the ground as Tyler began to transition fully, his fangs breaking through his gums painfully as everyone watched. After a minute of stunned silence Tyler righted himself and looked to Klaus in amazement. Klaus smiled happily and turned to Elena.

"Thanks love. Just as I thought. Your blood is the key…as usual. Looks like you still have some use to me." She stared up at him terrified, clutching her wrist. Damon stood up shakily as Stefan helped him.

"No!" Damon shouted and Klaus laughed.

"Was she keeping you warm while Stefan was away? Don't worry, you can keep each other company on our trip."

"What?" Stefan gasped and Damon gulped.

"Well I need her to make more hybrids and you need to eat Stefan. This actually works out quite nicely."

"We're not going anywhere with you." Damon growled.

"Oh I think you are Damon."

"You'll have to kill me and we both know what that would mean."

"Hmmmn." Klaus smiled enjoying the verbal foreplay as he approached them. Stefan stood in front of Damon's shoulder protectively.

"Do your own dirty work Klaus!" Damon snarled.

"What a pickle. I need Stefan, Stefan needs you to feed…If I kill you as you're determined to have happen rather than leave with us voluntarily, then Stefan would die too. Who would look after Elena?" Damon closed his mouth in a tight line and looked towards Elena. Elena watched, Tyler sitting on the floor comforting her as he watched the scene unfold. Her cell vibrated in her pocket loudly with Jeremy's alert tone. She ignored it in fear that it would stir Klaus's anger.

"Hmmn. There may be another solution." Klaus smiled to himself as everyone held their breath. "Stefan…" His eyes widened and Stefan was caught in his gaze. Damon looked to Stefan in fear. "Stand aside and don't interfere."

"What are you doing?" Elena croaked looking at the apprehension in Damon's eyes as Stefan moved aside robotically. Klaus stepped into Damon's space and Damon moved backwards automatically.

"I have a better idea dearest Damon." He widened his pupils and Damon fought to look away. Klaus reached up and held Damon's face firmly. "Stefan needs to feed. You are his blood bag. You will feed him any time he requires. You won't speak or fight. You are simply a meal do you understand?"

"No!" Elena and Stefan both shouted as Stefan fought with his body to move and pull Klaus away. Damon blinked, swallowing.

"I understand." He said quietly and blinked again. His eyes becoming slightly blank as Klaus stepped away.

"What have you done?" Stefan cried as he saw Damon's expression become dazed. Klaus turned back to him.

"Oh I'm sorry Stefan, how rude of me not to ask whether you still needed sex. Would you like me to compel him to take care of those needs too?" Klaus smiled and Stefan choked horrified as he looked to Damon in disbelief.

"No? Ok, suit yourself. Now Damon, Stefan is starving here." He pulled a switchblade from his pocket and handed it to Damon. Damon took it from him like a robot. "Slit your throat won't you?"

Everyone gasped as Damon slit his throat open without making a sound. Blood poured from the wound and Klaus turned to Stefan who was hyperventilating before him.

"You can move now Stefan." He said and Stefan dashed to Damon to hold him. Despite the blood flowing from Damon, Damon held him in an embrace and guided him towards his throat. Stefan pulled back horrified as he held Damon's face and searched his eyes.

_Damon? Damon are you in there?_

There was no response and Stefan began to sob as Damon's blood began to coat both of them. The wound healed slowly as Stefan whimpered and tried to reach Damon telepathically. Damon seemed empty. Stefan turned to Klaus desperately.

"Please stop this! I'll do anything you want!" He begged and Klaus smiled.

"Drink Stefan." Klaus suggested and Stefan shook his head.

"Bring him back to me."

"Drink."

"Not like this, please…"

"God your humanity is a pain Stefan. Why don't you just turn it off?"

"No!"

"Turn it off."

"No!" Klaus rushed at him and forced him against the wall as Damon fell to his knees and remained zombie like.

"Turn it off!" Klaus compelled and Elena and Tyler held their breaths. Stefan choked and blinked rapidly. Klaus stepped back and searched his eyes.

"Stefan?" Elena whispered in fear and Stefan blinked again and straightened his expression.

"Now, Stefan eat. I need you big and strong." Klaus sighed happily as Stefan's fangs filled his mouth and his veins protruded.

"Stefan…" Elena choked and Stefan looked to Damon and grabbed him from behind viciously, biting into his neck and moaning as he fed his starving stomach. Elena looked down at the ground in defeat as Stefan drank loudly, pausing to pull Damon into his lap and lapping at the blood coating Damon's neck and throat as Damon stared up at the ceiling blank and helpless.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok guys, hearing a few concerns. Let me just alleviate you. This will never become a Delena or Stelena – Elena does my nut in and I can't stand her, however she is very important to them both and I can't just delete her from the equation – it just wouldn't be real. So don't worry ok? I know some of you are thrilled at more of this story so thanks. Some of you want me to write a new one. We have a lot of time before season 5 starts and I promise I will write new stories too, I just have to run with this one a little more. I use these characters to bring in real life issues and no one has a happy ever after in real life. My plans for this will be tough on their love but it's what they fight and live through that defines how strongly they love each other – just like Elena and Stefan in the show (although thankfully without constant Elena winging and crying all the time). I will be following a lot of the canon but adapting it. Hope those of you who aren't convinced stick with it for a bit. If not, that's cool, I will write more Defan soon (perhaps even at the same time).

X

Chapter 3

In the end, Klaus had to pull Stefan from Damon's neck as Stefan snarled and lost control of his hunger.

"Easy there mate, wouldn't want to drain him and have to fill him back up again." Stefan growled aggressively and Klaus glared at him in warning. Slowly Stefan backed down and allowed Klaus to take Damon's body from him. Stefan panted, licking his lips.

"Now, shall we make some arrangements Elena?" Klaus asked politely and she looked up in defeat.

"What about Damon?"

"Oh, he'll be fine."

"Please don't leave him like this." She begged and Klaus raised his eyebrows and looked down at Damon's blank expression. Stefan had taken a lot and Damon looked awful. "Please. I'll go with you, but don't do this to him."

"Fond of him aren't you? Here I thought that Stefan was the one you wanted." Klaus commented. "If I restore him, you won't cause any trouble will you Miss Gilbert?"

"I promise." She affirmed and Klaus nodded.

"Damon…" Klaus cooed, lifting Damon's body higher so that he could catch Damon's eyes. Damon looked to him. "You can be yourself again." Damon blinked slowly and parted his lips as he tried to breathe.

"Stef…" He tried to say but he was so weak from blood loss that he closed his eyes. Klaus lay him down on the floor as he tried to recover and Elena crawled away from the shocked Tyler and leaned over Damon to check him. Damon opened his eyes and looked at her groggily frowning as she stroked the side of his cheek.

"Stefan?" He whispered tiredly and Elena looked over to Stefan. Stefan stood up and looked over at Damon hungrily, his eyes still vampire. She held Damon to her protectively and Klaus clapped his hands together.

"Ok. Let's go."

"Wait. Damon's too weak, he needs to feed." Elena pointed out and Klaus chewed his lip.

"I want more blood in Stefan not less." He sighed.

"I have some of Stefan's blood stored. Let me take Damon back to the Boarding House and I'll feed him. Then we'll leave with you." She braved as Damon grunted and tried to sit.

"If you try anything…"

"We won't." She looked him straight in the eyes.

"Tyler stays with me. If you try to trick me or run, I will kill him and then I will kill Caroline, then Bonnie and lastly your brother and I'll save him for the finale." Klaus said with venom and she nodded. She helped Damon sit up and stand. He was so weak he had to lean on her for support and she struggled under his weight as they left the hall. They struggled out to her car as Damon struggled to stay conscious. She had no idea what to say to him, how to comfort him as she drove back to the boarding house. This was all so wrong. They were going to have to do as Klaus commanded or he would take Damon's mind from him again and hurt her friends. She sat Damon into his armchair and he closed his eyes tiredly as she went to retrieve some bottles of Stefan's blood from the basement.

The room was so cold and her teeth chattered as she selected the red capped bottles. There were only a few of Damon's white capped bottles left here. She considered bringing them with her too so that Stefan might not feed on Damon again so viciously but she had a feeling that with Stefan the way he was right now, he wouldn't want cold blood when he could drink fresh from the source. She had no idea what to expect from Stefan now that he had turned his humanity off. He had told her that vampires could do it when they didn't want to feel anymore. Did it mean that he didn't love or care about Damon now? Surely their bond would change that, it had too. Then again he had attacked Damon so savagely in the gym it looked as though Damon had been nothing more to him than food.

She sighed and filled her bag with just Stefan's blood, before turning to leave and then remembering the safe. Anne's blood was in there. She chewed her lip as she considered what to do. She knew the code. If she fed it to Damon their bond would break and Stefan wouldn't feed from him anymore. Damon would be safe. Perhaps she could convince Klaus to leave Damon behind and not hurt him. If she fed the remaining blood to Stefan it would break his bond too and they would both live and not be linked anymore. Klaus would prefer that because he could use Stefan in the way he wanted without having to deal with Damon. She walked to the safe and entered the code to open it. She would tell Klaus about it and bargain for Damon's life in exchange for breaking the bond. She opened the safe and peered inside. It was empty. She searched inside frantically but it wasn't there. She sighed and frowned. Damon must have moved it. She lifted her bag and walked back up to the lounge. Should she ask him for it? If she told him of her plan he might not be on board.

Damon was resting just where she'd left him. She placed the bag down on the floor and removed a bottle for him, opening it as he stirred and opened his eyes. The smell drifted towards his nose and his eyes changed. She was never going to get used to that happening. She handed the bottle to him and he drank slowly. She sat down, pondering whether to share her idea with him when he made a sound of grief. She looked to him and saw a tear run down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes closed and drained the bottle. Her heart broke for him. She reached down and got him another bottle. It must be so hard for him to have to taste Stefan, to smell him from the blood without having him. Especially since Damon would understand what it meant by Stefan turning his humanity off.

"Stefan's humanity switch…" She began, unsure of whether Damon was aware of what had happened and Damon nodded.

"He's gone." Damon croaked and began to drink from the next bottle. She looked down at her hands and fidgeted until he stopped drinking and sat back in his chair.

"Is there a way for us to bring him back?"

"Klaus compelled him to." Damon said and she knew that meant that Stefan had no free will in terms of turning it back on.

"Damon…Anne's blood…"

"No."

"Damon if he doesn't need to feed on you anymore Klaus won't need you." She pointed out and he sighed.

"And what about you? Who'll protect you from ripper Stefan and daddy Klaus if I'm not there?"

"I'll be fine. He can't kill me, he needs me." Damon looked over at her and she felt a shiver run through her at his expression.

"There are a lot worse things than death Elena." His voice was strange and it frightened her. She moved over to him and hugged him tightly. Whatever Klaus had done to Damon in the gym, it had clearly affected him, even if it had been brief. Damon had had his mind taken from him and it must have been the most terrifying experience of his life. She couldn't imagine what she would have felt like.

"I don't want you to come with us." She whispered as she pulled back. "Let me protect you for once." Damon opened his mouth to argue when her cell wrang again. She pulled it out, frightened that it would be Klaus demanding they return to the school and leave now. It was Jeremy. She'd completely forgotten about his text earlier.

"Hey Jer, this isn't a great time right now."

"Elena where are you? I've been trying to get a hold of you!"

"What's wrong?" She asked concerned at his tone.

"Anna's here, she's freaking out, telling me that some vampire called Michael is coming here to kill all of you."

"Michael who? What?" Damon raised his eyebrows in interest.

"Anna says he's Klaus's dad." Jeremy said seriously. "I told her we'll be ok because Klaus is gone but she keeps going on about it." Elena gulped back bile.

"Klaus is here. He's back in Mystic Falls."

"What?! Are you ok? Where are you?"

"I'm ok, I promise. I'm with Damon. Jer…so much has happened." She croaked thinking of Stefan and Tyler's new transformation. She needed help. Damon squeezed her hand. She quickly explained the situation to Jeremy, leaving out the part about her having agreed to leave with Klaus.

"Elena, Anna says that Klaus is scared of Michael. He'll run if Michael comes here so tell him."

"I…" Elena croaked. If Klaus wanted to run he'd still drag them all with him and on top of it he'd be angry and frustrated. That combination was never good with Klaus. He'd probably not spare Damon, he'd want to leave now and give her no opportunity to bargain with the bond. She gulped. Damon nodded at her.

"Elena?" Jeremy prompted and she swallowed again.

"Ok. Jer stay at home ok. Don't get involved. If Klaus is angry he'll come after you."

"I'm not going to let you talk to him alone!"

"I'm not alone, I have Damon. Please Jer, promise me you'll keep yourself safe." Jeremy sighed and agreed bitterly and she hung up.

"Lets' do it then." Damon stood up looking around at his home. How many times had he left it unwillingly now? This was their lives he supposed. He could die at any given time, why bother fighting it anymore. Elena took his hand and they left the Boarding House nervously.

They didn't need to return to the school as Klaus arrived in his car as they stepped outside the front door. He got out grinning, looking Damon over as they tightened their grip on each others' hands.

"Excellent, all better Damon? I hope so because my boys' going to need another feed soon. He's been starving himself for days." Damon gulped and tried not to think about Stefan.

"Who's Michael?" Damon braved and watched as Klaus face fell.

"What?"

"Michael. I hear he's looking for you." Damon said casually enjoying the drain of colour from Klaus's face.

"What are you talking about?" He stepped forward, speaking dangerously and Damon tucked Elena behind him as he stood his ground.

"Apparently Michael knows you're here. He's coming to find you."

"What?!" Klaus growled and grabbed Damon's throat.

"My brother, he's sees ghosts. Someone came to him to warn us that Michael was coming here for you." Elena said hurriedly as Damon choked. Klaus dropped him and stepped back as he started to panic. She watched in interest. She'd never seen Klaus look concerned or show much more emotion than smugness and confidence but he actually looked scared. She frowned, wondering what could be so bad or dangerous about Klaus's father that would make someone as powerful as him shiver. Perhaps they should all be afraid. Klaus began to pace in front of them.

"Get in the car now. We have to leave."

"Where's Stefan?" She asked and he growled and pulled at his hair. "You don't want to leave without him surely." He shot her a look of contempt. He looked at his watch and growled again. He had sent Stefan and Tyler to get Tyler's' things. He wanted his first ever hybrid with him on his travels to build his army. They didn't have time to wait for them if Michael was on his way. They couldn't waste time. They had to leave now! He grabbed Elena from behind Damon's back and she yelped.

"Get in now. We'll have to come back for them later."

"Wait…" Damon shouted and Elena butt in.

"You sure that's wise? A doppelganger is bound to attract attention wherever we go Klaus. Michael wouldn't find it hard to track us down with every vampire out there looking for me to carry favour with you." She pointed out and he stopped pulling her towards the car and growled angrily. He couldn't deny her logic. He released her and beat his fist against the side of his car, dented it inwards. He turned back to them both, foaming at the mouth with anger.

"Stay here. If you run I'll…"

"I won't run. You have my word." She said and he bore his fangs and grabbed her wrist. She screamed as he bit in and pulled a bottle from his pocket. He held her wrist over the bottle as Damon held himself firm. Klaus needed her blood, if she gave some right now they might get through this. Elena trembled as he filled the small bottle. He clearly wasn't happy with the amount he was collecting but he had no choice. To get a full pint it'd take time and he didn't have time. He let her pull her arm back, tears in her eyes as he popped the cork in the bottle and glared at them both. Elena backed away holding her wrist. Damon didn't take his eyes off of Klaus as he pulled his cell out and called Stefan.

"Stefan. I have to leave, you will stay in Mystic Falls and guard Elena, make sure she doesn't run." He barked down the phone and climbed into his car as Elena retreated back towards Damon again. He looked at them one last time before driving off hurriedly.

Elena turned her face into Damon's chest and he held her tight. That had been close. The smell of her blood was making his nose twitch uncomfortably and he pulled her back inside of the house to bandage her. She looked tired as she watched him bind her and clean the wound.

"You moved Anne's blood." She commented and he didn't react, winding the bandage around and pinning it in place. "Why?"

"I knew you would check." He said simply. She exhaled and he looked at her, sitting down beside her as he put the first aid kit away. Strange that they had one around considering, but humans were frequent visitors here these days.

"He wouldn't want this for you. He wanted you to live." She sighed. Damon gave her a small smile.

"It's my choice Elena." He said with finality in his voice and she knew she couldn't push him. They sat in silence for a while.

"What now?" She asked.

"Now we figure out who the hell Michael is."

"What about Stefan?" She braved and Damon's eyes became a little glazed.

"I don't know." He said, seeming as shocked and uncomfortable with his response as she did. Damon always had a plan. He turned to look at her seriously. "Stay away from him though Elena. You have no idea what he's capable of. He'll hurt you."

"What about you?"

"I've known him at his worst. Don't worry about me." He brushed it off and she huffed in amazement.

"The last time he was at his worst he didn't need you as a meal to survive! There's no way I'm leaving you alone!"

"Elena…" Damon sighed. "You can't be involved in this." He said gently, hoping not to hurt her feelings. Despite his intentions she did feel her heart break regardless. She cared so much for them both and at one time they had both seemed to love her too. Now, she was an outsider and she felt helpless. She gulped down grief and bit her lip. He looked to her guiltily.

"Stefan's mine. I don't want you to get caught in the middle. I care about you too much." He added, trying to soften the blow and she nodded as a tear spilled from her eye. She stood up slowly and he followed.

"I better go and see Caroline. She must be distraught about Tyler." She said, wiping her eyes and straightening up. Damon had the puppy dog look on his face he always had when he felt guilty. She gave him a tight smile and left. Damon collapsed into his armchair and took a deep breath. His head was spinning. All of that time he'd spent beginning to warm to her, possibly even beginning to love her and _now_ was the time she had chosen to love him back? What the hell was he going to do about that? She'd been so wonderful lately and he'd needed that, but it was always going to be Stefan. Stefan owned him body and soul. Except now…Stefan probably couldn't care less about that.

Damon held his chest as he remembered the animal in Stefan's eyes when he'd attacked him at the gym. His Stefan had been short circuited by force and the only way to undo it was to get Klaus to release him from his compulsion. Damon's face crumpled as he began to weep silently. Stefan might be gone forever. Klaus had no reason to undo the damage. If Elena hadn't begged so heartily for him to give Damon his faculties back he would have remained stuck inside of his own head forever, being nothing more than a receptacle for Stefan's food. He shivered and lay his head back as he remembered everything, every thought, every emotion as he'd been locked inside and forced not to respond. Stefan calling to him telepathically had ended him as he'd fought just to respond that way. Klaus could make him like that again and nothing terrified him more. He'd never been as scared as he'd been in that small period of time. Death would have been kinder.

He sat in the chair for a while, replaying everything over and over in his head until he heard Stefan walking up to the Boarding House. Stefan had such a telltale drag to his shoes. His heart froze and he sat up fully as he waited, his heart thundering in his ears. He'd seen Stefan without his humanity before, he could handle him. Stefan opened the door casually and walked inside as though nothing was wrong. He caught sight of Damon instantly and smiled. He almost looked like his Stefan with that smile but Damon could feel the lust drip from him and he gulped and kept his face blank.

"Hello brother."

"Back to brothers are we?" Damon commented tightly and Stefan sauntered into the lounge, throwing his jacket on the floor and sitting down to put his feet up on the edge of the coffee table.

"I could always just call you…lunch." Stefan grinned and Damon bit his lip. Stefan gave a chuckle and shook his head. "Don't be melodramatic Damon. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Because you think you could? Even without your puppet master?" Damon returned his façade to that of his former self – the person he'd been when he'd first came back here. He would need to pull himself in to protect himself now.

"Come on brother, we both know you're not going to hurt _me_. You love me too much." Stefan said confidently and Damon glared at him.

"Oh I don't know, tit for tat."

"Yeah right." Stefan laughed and Damon lunged at him and threw him across the room into a cabinet. He panted and stood defensively as Stefan got up laughing to himself.

"Message received. You don't want to play then? Not exactly the sort of welcome I expected."

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot about the balloons and cake in amongst all of the near death attacks and mind control!" Damon fumed and Stefan brushed himself down.

"Not even a kiss?" Stefan raised his eyebrows at him suggestively and Damon huffed in disbelief. "I'd rather something a little more energetic to be honest. I've been sleeping alone for weeks now." Stefan pouted and Damon's eyes widened.

"Get out." Damon snarled.

"What was it you said to me? Oh yeah…"It's my home too!"" Stefan mimicked Damon's words of pain from his return here when he'd come back to beg Stefan to take him back. Damon felt a pang as Stefan smiled at him knowingly. Stefan started to approach him slowly like a cat.

"This is my home and you are mine. So why don't we just go to bed before I have my dinner." Stefan looked at him with such desire that Damon felt his insides quiver.

"Stay away from me Stefan." He warned. Stefan leaned into his space and he leaned back angrily.

"You said that one time before and you still enjoyed it." Stefan said huskily, breathing in Damon's scent. "Come on, it's just sex Damon. I know you want me." He spoke into Damon's ear and Damon reached behind slowly and grabbed the poker for the fire.

"Hmmmn." Stefan purred. "God you smell delicious." He flicked his tongue out and ran it over Damon's ear and Damon rammed the poker right through him. Stefan fell back onto the floor, eyes wide as he gasped and held the poker handle. Damon looked down expressionless as Stefan reached for him choking. Damon held himself firm even though he was dying inside and walked away slowly back up to their room and locked the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, Ian is the most charming, adorable man on the planet. I had the pleasure of meeting him this weekend and he knocked my socks off with his humility and kindness. Here is a guy who loves his fans and gives just as much as he gets. True gentleman;-) Hopefully he'll never read what I do to poor Damon in my stories hahaha.

Anyway, back to the story…

Chapter 30

Damon stayed in his room secure for the rest of the night, confused by Stefan's behaviour. Stefan had no humanity so why did he want to irritate Damon so much? Surely that indicated that Stefan was doing it for enjoyment but how was he capable of that? The worst thing about it was that Damon had been tempted, just for a second, to let Stefan into his bed. He'd missed him, thought he'd lost him and here he was offering his body blatantly. In some ways it would have been easier if they hated each other, at least then if Damon did give himself over to lust it wouldn't matter that to Stefan he was just a walking sex toy, but now that he'd been given so much love from Stefan he needed it. As the morning approached Damon got up from their bed and dressed quietly. He needed to feed and he wanted to avoid contact with Stefan today if possible. There was no way he was going to feed from his neck anymore, bottles would have to do.

He climbed down the stairs and into the basement to find the storage room door wide open. He went inside and looked around. Stefan had taken all of the Damon's remaining blood supply from here and had smashed a few of the others. Damon was stumped by that act. That wasn't the behaviour of someone without emotion. Stefan had done it out of anger and spite. Perhaps his humanity switch wasn't completely off, although Damon didn't know how that could be possible. He reached for one of the bottles still on the shelf. Why leave him enough to live on and only smash a few? He shook his head as he opened a bottle and drank deeply. He'd just have one today and get by. He closed the door to the room behind him as he ascended the stairs and went into the lounge, sitting on the sofa and lifting a book he had abandoned a few days ago. This was his house and he wasn't going to be restricted to his room because of his unwelcomed house guest.

An hour or so later he heard Stefan rouse and come down the staircase slowly. He held himself tight preparing himself but Stefan ignored him entirely and moved around searching for something. After ten painful minutes of silence Damon finally sighed and put his book down.

"What are you doing Stefan?"

"Where did you hide it?" Stefan looked to him, his face blank and empty and Damon shrugged nonchalantly. He knew what Stefan was looking for and he wasn't going to help him find it.

"It's not in the safe anymore. Why did you move it?"

"Why do you think?" Damon asked coyly, tilting his head as Stefan clenched his jaw.

"Give it to me."

"Nope."

"What are you planning to do? Drink it yourself?"

"Oh, but if I did that you'd die wouldn't you?" Damon pouted. "Better behave yourself from now on then. I don't think daddy Klaus would be happy his little minion couldn't feed anymore from anyone…"

"Damon we both know you'd never take it. You've always been a sap for love. No way you'd risk me dying."

"A sap?" Damon laughed incredulously and shook his head. "Well I'm not feeling the love these days Stef so I guess you can't really predict what I would or wouldn't do. You see, the real you would want me to end this, so if I do kill you it'll be because of that. But hey, maybe you're right, maybe I'm too much of a sap to do it right away."

Stefan scowled and took a step towards him. Damon frowned watching his expression. He could swear Stefan was feeling anger but how? He studied him for a few seconds and Stefan relaxed his posture. Damon pushed his mind out towards him to see whether he could feel him and Stefan snorted. Obviously he could still feel the connection and he was just choosing not to communicate that way.

"Don't." Stefan said as Damon stared on at him, he raised his eyebrows innocently and Stefan shook his head. "Get out of my head brother."

"Why? Does it bother you? Make you angry?"

"That would be impossible now wouldn't it?" Stefan smirked.

"It _should_ be. So why does it bother you that I want to channel to you?"

"Why should I let you when you give me no benefits in return?"

"Benefits?" Damon chuckled in confusion and Stefan's eyes darkened as he looked over Damon's body hungrily.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Damon frowned. Since when did having no humanity make Stefan a nympho? He didn't get it.

"I want you."

"Why?"

"Why not? It's just sex, it feels good." Stefan offered and Damon shook his head slowly.

"That's not the real reason." He said as he watched lust begin to build in Stefan's expression. Sex felt good certainly, but when you were having sex with another vampire and you could feed at the same time the experience became so much more intense and pleasurable. Now Damon was Stefan's only food, the only way he'd be able to climax like he liked would be to sleep with Damon only. Their mating had intensified everything so much that should Stefan sleep with a human it would be trite in comparison. Still, there was something else at play that Damon couldn't quite put his finger on too. Stefan came towards him and he stiffened, sitting up fully.

"Just come to bed Damon." Stefan said quietly and Damon snorted and shook his head.

"No way! If you want pleasure go and drink your bottles and by the way thanks for smashing some of mine. Dick move." Damon said angrily. Stefan looked down at him.

"I could have smashed them all and forced you to have to drink from me."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know." Stefan shrugged and Damon huffed in disbelief. "I'd make it worth your while. Are you really going to sit there and pretend you aren't aching for me?"

"Do I really have to introduce you to my good friend Mr Poker again for you to get the message?"

"So you aren't burning from not being able to have me? You really expect me to believe that?" Stefan smiled dangerously and Damon felt his heckles rise.

Truth was that that was exactly how he felt. Sex and blood sharing was an intrinsic part of their nature as mates. It was the frequency of intercourse and sharing that always managed to keep them alive, bring them back from the brink. This whole situation was putting both of their bodies at strain and Damon was concerned for what it would mean long term. Stefan watched as Damon tried not to indicate how much he was going over it in his mind.

"You wanted to mate again. Now you have to live with the consequences. I need sex. My body needs yours. Let's not over think this just because we're not in love anymore." Stefan kneeled down and stared at his mouth intensely.

_Pain._

Damon's heart squeezed. Stefan might not be in love anymore but Damon still was. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of what was going on in Stefan's mind. Stefan bit into his wrist and extended it towards him and Damon's whole body vibrated. The rose scent drifted up towards him from Stefan's skin and he felt his mouth fill with saliva.

"What are you trying to do?" He croaked, unable to tear his eyes from the blood.

"It'll feel good." Stefan purred and Damon closed his eyes tight, trying to fight his body. He didn't know what Stefan was playing at and this was dangerous. Stefan leaned up and brought his wrist to Damon's mouth and Damon inhaled automatically and opened his eyes as the veins spread through them. He made a short grunt of restraint before Stefan pressed his wrist to his lips and Damon opened his mouth and sank his fangs in, closing his eyes blissfully. He exhaled and held Stefan's arm closer as Stefan rose up and tilted into Damon's neck. The feeding was so wonderful Damon didn't resist as Stefan bit into his neck and began to drink. Damon felt a whooshing sensation in his stomach and he opened his eyes blearily as he spun from it. Stefan was making small moans of satisfaction and Damon let his switch slip to enjoy the wave. It had been weeks since he'd last felt it and he'd noticed its absence daily. He lay his head back against the sofa and released Stefan's wrist as his body melted and he sighed in pleasure. He knew he should stop it, he knew this wasn't his Stefan anymore, but every cell in his body was on fire and urging him to join with him. Their connections went so deep that perhaps they did still need this to live. Perhaps not joining and sharing would tear their bodies apart from the inside. Then again, perhaps it was his inability to control himself when he wanted something so desperately, that made Damon give in and let Stefan take the lead.

_Stefan…_

_Hmmmn…_

Damon opened his eyes at the channelling and Stefan pulled back to look at him. Their faces were so close to each other that Damon could see Stefan pupils dilate. He held his breath, not moving a muscle as Stefan looked to his mouth and pressed their mouths together to kiss him slowly as though it was an experiment. Damon accepted the kisses, gently returning them as he waited to see what Stefan was going to do. Stefan slid his arms around his back and deepened the kiss as Damon opened his mouth to him.

_Desire._

Damon definitely felt that being channelled and he began to hope against all odds that maybe Stefan could come back to him. Maybe the blood would allow Stefan to short circuit the compulsion. Stefan pulled away from his mouth and licked up Damon's throat as he sighed. Everything seemed to speed up as Stefan became urgent in his licking and kisses. Damon closed his eyes and enjoyed the closeness as Stefan kissed him passionately and climbed on top of him, guiding Damon onto his back along the sofa.

_You taste so good._

Damon moaned as Stefan stroked his body and bit into his neck again gently.

_God I want you Damon._

Stefan made a growling sound under his breath and stroked over Damon's manhood through his jeans as the blood wave made Damon shiver and pant. The scent coming from Damon was driving Stefan crazy, he had to have him! He growled again and pulled up to kiss Damon's mouth, biting his bottom lip. Damon opened his eyes and cupped his face as they looked at each other for a moment.

_Love._

Stefan blinked at Damon's emotion and began to kiss him again.

_I'm going to fuck you into the floor._

Damon frowned at Stefan's crude response and tried to control the floodgates that threatened to burst. Stefan reached down and undid their jeans quickly, sitting up to pull Damon's off as he pulled his manhood out of his fly. Damon's pupils widened and Stefan lay back down on top of him, stroking Damon's naked hips with his thumbs. The scent of each other's skin was intoxicating and they began to sniff each other in wonder and enjoyment. Stefan leaned into his neck and began to scent him there as Damon raised his knees around Stefan's hips.

_Fuck._

Stefan channeled as he drew in a deep breath of Damon's perfume and pulled Damon's groin upwards abruptly, squeezing him enough to make Damon uncomfortable. Stefan buried his face into his neck and pulled Damon forward to enter him. Damon jolted at the speed of the action and winced a little in discomfort. Stefan wasn't being gentle at all and it hurt a little. Stefan filled him and began to thrust. Damon caught his breath and tried to relax into it, but there was no tenderness, no foreplay, no kissing now. Stefan wanted one thing and one thing only. Stefan began to pant and deepened his penetration, making Damon gasp and hold him.

_Hurts Stefan._

He finally channelled, realising that Stefan had no concerns over his needs at all. He tried to push Stefan's head up to catch his eyes but Stefan simply sank his teeth in and began to drink from him enough to send the wave into him. The discomfort wasn't so bad after that and Damon relaxed a little. He so badly wanted this to feel better, to feel like they were connecting, but this was just sex. This wasn't joining. Damon made a sound of unhappiness and Stefan slowed his thrusting and lifted his head. Stefan looked confused.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked a little breathlessly as Damon fought to keep a straight face. Damon closed his eyes and Stefan stopped moving, hovering over him and rolling his hips slowly.

_I love you little blood machine._

"When did you turn into a woman?" Stefan sighed and Damon opened his eyes angrily. Stefan shook his head and reached down to Damon's erection. In his aim to climax he hadn't bothered to consider Damon's pleasure. Why bother? What did he care as long as he got what he needed? This was how it was now. Damon's was going to have to learn that and get over it. Still, he supposed on this one occasion he could appease him. He began to stroke Damon's length just how he liked it and Damon's expression changed to one of lust and enjoyment. Damon really was aching for his touch as he vibrated and flushed. Stefan began to thrust slowly again, timing his movements with pumping Damon and Damon moaned in pleasure and desperation. Stefan sped up, rubbing lovely burn marks into Damon's skin as he got lost and Damon called his name. Damon came on his fingers loudly and Stefan pounded him and bit into his neck as he climaxed and shook from the intensity. It had been weeks and his whole essence poured into Damon enough to leave him unable to breathe or speak.

_Love, love love love love…._

Damon's feelings hit him like a brick wall and he struggled to breathe through it. He grunted, trying to clear his head but Damon was channelling so loudly he couldn't block it out.

_Damon stop it!_

Stefan gritted his teeth and fought against a pulling sensation in his heart. He gagged as he gulped in air.

_Fear. _

He felt fear for definite and he grunted again at how unpleasant it was.

_Loss, grief…Damon…_

Stefan choked against the emotion and growled in anger. Damon was holding him and whispering words of love and he had to fight it. The barrier the humanity switch created was pulling him apart and it hurt so much he thought he might pass out. He took a deep breath and pushed Damon firmly into the couch and roared. Damon dropped his arms and held still, eyes wide and Stefan panted reining himself back in as he returned to his state of calm and emptiness. He withdrew from Damon's body and climbed off of him briskly. He needed a shower to get rid of this experience. From now on he was just going to have to pleasure himself. Being inside Damon was too dangerous when he could hear his thoughts.

_Love, pain, grief, need…_

The emotions spilled out of Damon before he could stop them and Stefan exhaled loudly as he shot him a look of blankness.

"Start making me more bottles. I'm running out." Stefan said casually and Damon blinked at him. Stefan avoided eye contact and left the room as Damon looked to the floor and regained some equilibrium. Stefan had felt emotion, he was sure of it. How could he not have when Damon had poured it into him so aggressively. Damon had sensed the barrier brought on by Klaus's compulsion. It was strong but they were stronger. Only problem was that Stefan was dangerous and unpredictable like this and trying to force this closeness between them could end in disaster.

He pulled his jeans back on, tracing the material burns with his fingers as he did so. If sex was as important as Stefan thought, he couldn't stay away forever. He'd come crawling back and then Damon could flood him with emotion again until he could beat down this barrier and get him back. He'd never give up trying until he was convinced Stefan was really gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Over the next few days Damon watched him, studied every response and facial twitch as Stefan tried to avoid him. Could their bond overcome the compulsion? Should he fight to get his Stefan back? He was sure the blood would be key, it usually always was to them no matter what transpired, but now Stefan didn't want to feed straight from him. Stefan wanted bottles. Damon knew he was playing with fire and it could backfire dangerously but he decided to try and force the issue. If there was a chance he could get Stefan back he was going to fight for it tooth and nail.

"Damon!"

Damon rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair and waited for Stefan to find him. Stefan stalked into the room with his usual blank expression.

"Where's my breakfast?" Damon didn't answer and just looked up at the ceiling. "Damon." Stefan said coldly and Damon continued to ignore him. Stefan blurred over and grabbed him by his throat, pulling him from his chair. Damon growled and kneed him in the groin, making Stefan crumple and release him.

"Don't ever do that again Stefan." Damon said calmly, with as much coldness as Stefan had shown him and Stefan righted himself as they growled at each other.

"Blood now."

"Go to hell. I'm not yours anymore." Damon's heart sped up in his chest as he tried to gauge any emotion from Stefan, trying not to make it obvious that he was searching so desperately for it. Stefan went for him again and they fell to the ground struggling against each other. Stefan tried to bite his throat and Damon head butted him. Stefan fell back a little in shock and Damon pinned him to the floor bearing his fangs and biting into Stefan's neck to force the wave. It was always more sensual and intense to be the one being fed from so Damon knew if anything would provoke an emotional response it would be this. Stefan struggled, growling and trying to roll Damon off of him.

_Stop it!_

_Bite me._

Damon channelled sarcastically.

"Arggh!" Stefan growled angrily as Damon gulped and held him firm until Stefan made his first sigh of pleasure. "Uhhh. Stop!"

Damon kept his switch off and relaxed his hold a little until Stefan was gyrating under him and panting. He pulled his mouth away and swallowed, looking down at Stefan's eyes for some sign of love.

_Love._

Damon channelled, waiting and hoping as Stefan shivered and breathed. Damon stroked his face and rubbed their noses together and Stefan drew in a breath.

"You can fight through this Stefan. I know you can." Damon said gently.

"What for?" Stefan spoke finally, his cheeks flushed from desire as Damon moved their hips together.

"For me. For us." Damon said and Stefan looked at him for a long moment without blinking.

"So I can fall in love with you again?" Stefan raised his eyebrows and Damon looked into his eyes. "So you can get me killed again?"

"What?" Damon frowned in confusion.

"That's all that loving you ever gets me. How many times are you going to screw up and kill me? You've already done it twice." Stefan revelled in Damon's sudden tension. "You're poison."

Damon held his expression tight and tried to breathe. Stefan burst into a smile.

"You used to be so fun, so…hot. My big bad brother. Even when I was all do-goodery and hated you at least I respected your integrity to yourself. Now look at you, whimpering like a girl, crying into your pillow at night…" Stefan chuckled as Damon clenched his jaw. "You're nothing now."

Damon tightened his hold on him and bit down into Stefan's neck again, making Stefan gasp and moan. He wasn't going to give up.

_Even sex is disappointing with you now. What good are you?_

"Uhhhh…" Stefan moaned arching despite his bitter and hurtful words.

_Love…_

_You're pathetic Damon. The eternal fucking screw up. I should have let you starve in that cellar._

Damon pulled up from his neck abruptly in hurt and Stefan grinned at him.

_My life has always been shit because of you. You killed our mother with your scarlet fever. You didn't protect me from Katherine, you let her turn me because you were too busy having sex with her to notice. You turned me into a ripper and left me alone. You forced me to mate with you out of hunger…_

_Stefan…_

_You got us kidnapped and tortured. You got me sold as a slave on the internet! You got me staked through your own stupidity…_

_Stefan please…_

_Because of you I had to go to Klaus._

Stefan stared at him seriously with as much focus on him as he could muster as Damon struggled to hold himself together.

"You are a disease." Stefan said coldly, unflinchingly and Damon got off of him as his heart broke. Stefan began to laugh delighted as Damon breathed and paced a little. "Oh honey does the truth hurt? Maybe you should just learn to open your legs and veins to me and shut your mouth. You would have made an excellent slave for that craigslist ad you know. It's just as well I own you. If you do as you're told maybe I'll even be nice to you, slip you a little kiss or a handjob every now and then."

Damon choked in horror and Stefan pouted at him.

"If you're really good I could even pretend to love you once a year. Valentines day? I'm a good actor you know. How do you think I managed to convince you I forgave you? I've always been able to block some of my thoughts from you. I used to be bummed that you were so much better at channelling me memories but I guess I got the best ability after all." Stefan continued to tease.

"Shut up!" Damon shouted.

"Oh no! Damon's going to cry again. Why don't you give Elena a call? I'm sure she'd come and plait your hair, amongst other things she'd like to do to you." Stefan smirked and sat up with effort. Damon fumed and flushed with anger. "Oh yeah, I know about that. I bet she gets really wet over you. I tasted her on your mouth that day I left with Klaus."

"Jealous?" Damon cornered, his eyes dark with volatility.

"You are mine Damon." Stefan growled and Damon stared him out. "Your blood and body are mine. You can accept it and stop fighting me or I can call Klaus and get him to make you more agreeable again."

Damon took a step back in shock.

_Fear, terror._

Stefan smiled as Damon paled and his heart raced.

"All you are to me is a good lay and a meal. Inconvenience me anymore and I will call him. I feel nothing for you."

Damon felt his strength weaken as he looked into Stefan's eyes. Stefan meant every word. There was no sign of anything inside of him. He was a black hole. Damon's eyes filled with tears of anger and grief and Stefan smiled again happily. That last smile ended Damon and he launched forward and kicked Stefan's face so hard he fell over onto his back coughing with blood pouring from his mouth. Damon lost it and he lay into him a few times, kicking until Stefan groaned and held himself. Damon backed away panting and shaking and blurred out of the house, desperate to put some distance between them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damon stayed away for a few days trying to sort out his head. Stefan had really gotten to him. He knew he couldn't avoid going back forever though, not when he hadn't taken any bottles of Stefan's blood with him. It had been a stupid mistake, but all he had been able to focus on was getting as far away from the boarding house as possible that day. Elena was out of her mind with worry for him. She was terrified Stefan would really call Klaus and turn Damon into a vegetable again and her concerns weren't unwarranted. In truth Damon also believed that Stefan was now capable of that.

Damon pulled up in his Camaro and got out listening for signs that Stefan was home. Stefan had run out of Damon's blood too so they were both going to be equally matched in strength and hunger. There was complete silence and Damon breathed in relief as he entered the Boarding House. He wasn't sure what his game plan was anymore. If Stefan did call Klaus, it was over for him. If he wanted to keep Stefan appeased, he was expected to let Stefan have sex with him when he wanted and feed from him without resistance. He wasn't sure which one was worse. Either way he would be a slave. He moved up to his room quickly and went into the bathroom cabinet, pulling a basket of essential oils out. He fished around and pulled out a half filled litre bottle of oil and sighed. Thankfully Stefan hated essential oils and didn't take many baths, or he could have discovered this hidden away in plain sight. Anne's precious blood. The time had come for him to end this. If Stefan didn't need his blood anymore perhaps he'd tire of wanting him and leave him be. There was no guarantee of that but it was worth a shot.

He held the bottle to his chest as he closed his eyes and breathed. Was he really going to do this? The smartest thing to do here was to drink it all and let Stefan die, that way he couldn't hurt anyone else and maybe Elena could run. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and called her. She wept and became fearful but she knew it was Damon or Stefan now. He urged her to get some things together so that they could run. Once Klaus found out Stefan was dead he'd be livid and would hunt them down. Maybe they could get some hints about running from Klaus from Katherine. Damon tried to calm her and reassure her he would look after her and then he hung up. It was time.

He opened the bottle and sniffed. Mandarins, just a little subtler than the smell of their blood. He closed his eyes as his heart clenched and put his lips to the bottle when there was a huge crash. He was thrown forwards into the wall and dropped the bottle onto the shower drain as he blinked dazed. He watched unable to get up as Anne's blood began to drain away. He choked and tried to reach for it when Stefan kicked him in the face. He coughed and gasped as Stefan looked down at him with eyes of fire.

"You were really going to kill me _again_?!"

Damon coughed blood and tried to sit up but Stefan grabbed him by the throat and dragged him out of the bathroom, throwing him onto the bed roughly. Damon rolled onto his back trying to sit up as Stefan stood watching him expressionless.

"Stop fighting. Don't make me hurt you. I'm hungry." Stefan warned.

"I thought you didn't give a damn about me anymore. What do you care if I put up a fight?" Damon managed to spit out as Stefan's eyes changed to his vampire self.

"I don't care, but I'd rather not kill you. I'd prefer to stay alive for once." Damon swallowed painfully at that dig. Stefan tossed a bottle onto the bed and Damon stared at it.

"Fill it."

"No." Damon growled back at him. Stefan hissed in response.

"Fill it or I will tie you down and drain it from you myself!"

"If you want it you're going to have to drink from me. I'm not a water fountain you can visit whenever you feel like storing up!"

Stefan snarled angrily as Damon held his ground.

"What's wrong? Afraid my feelings will distract you? God forbid I stir any emotion in that black heart of yours!" Damon fumed and Stefan tightened his expression reining himself in. He managed to pull a blank expression as Damon breathed watching him. He wasn't going to be won over by a bit of lust no matter what Damon might try. He moved to crawl up to him and grab him but Damon was ready and they struggled against each other fiercely. Stefan pulled back and punched Damon in the mouth, bursting his lip again and shocking him enough for a second to allow Stefan to trap him under his body weight. Damon wriggled underneath him, trying to push him off but Stefan was too quick and bit into his neck savagely.

"Ahhh!" Damon shouted in pain and continued to struggle. Stefan held him down like iron, eliciting more cries of pain from him as his body was crushed.

_Get off of me!_

Damon channelled desperately as he grimaced, but Stefan didn't channel back this time. Stefan was just a black hole to him now who didn't care how much pain he caused. Damon caught his breath as Stefan pulled back to laugh in his face as he struggled, before biting down even more carelessly and painfully. All of the extra blood being produced by Damon's body for him was already down into Stefan's belly and Damon knew he was in trouble now as Stefan continued to suck.

"Stef…an…" He choked, coughing as Stefan tore at his throat again. Blood poured out of his mouth as he choked on it. He stopped struggling and gave in as he tried to ride out the agony and Stefan began to hold him a little more gently. He let his head fall to the side and let a few tears escape. Stefan slowed his drinking down, gulping down satisfied. Damon's strength was waning as he pulled up away from his neck and sighed happily.

"God you taste so good. Hopefully it'll stay the same when you're a walking automaton." Stefan chuckled. He licked his lips and sat back smiling as Damon turned his head back to face him weakly. Stefan chuckled at how bad Damon looked. He was covered in blood and trembling. "Was it good for you honey?" Stefan cocked his head and laughed again. Damon opened his mouth to speak but stopped as soon as he saw the expression on Stefan's face change. Stefan had that look, the one that terrified him. He was looking again at all of the blood coating Damon's throat. Damon's heart began to pound in fear.

_Stefan stop please!_

Stefan flicked his eyes up to him. He looked down to Damon's throat again and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did so.

"No…" Damon growled and Stefan leaned in and licked up his throat. A movement so welcomed by Damon until recently, a movement born from love and protection now meant that Stefan was letting his ripper side come forward in lust. Stefan was going to force him. Stefan growled and held him down again and began to lick around his throat and neck furiously. Damon panted and tried not to struggle. His neck was still tender from Stefan's biting. He clenched his eyes closed and sent feelings of fear and pain to Stefan as loudly as possible and Stefan paused at his shoulder and rested his lips on his skin. Neither moved for a minute.

Stefan inhaled deeply again and slid his nose along Damon's collarbone. He was being gentle. Damon opened his eyes and Stefan lifted his head and looked at Damon's mouth. Damon held completely still as Stefan lowered his lips towards his. Damon felt a pang of hope inside of him. Stefan stopped himself just as their lips brushed and pulled up sharply, irritated and confused.

"I told you to stop it." Stefan growled and Damon frowned. "The smell, the taste…stop it!" Damon shook his head in confusion and Stefan grabbed his throat and held him down flat. "I said stop whatever you're doing to try to suck me back in Damon. You reek of pheromones!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Damon answered.

"I'm not going to make love to you so stop smelling so inviting. It's over." Stefan said with venom and released his hold, scooting off of the bed as Damon tried to sit up.

_Make love?_

Stefan went into a few drawers and retrieved some clothing.

"Fill the bottle. I want some breakfast for tomorrow." Stefan didn't even look at him as he spoke and Damon rubbed his throat. "Klaus has been in touch and we've to leave early."

He turned back to see Damon's face and folded his arms confidently.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard." Stefan said.

"Could you really do that to me?" Damon asked shakily.

"If you force me to." He said curtly. "Of course if you had just given Anne's blood to me we could have just taken it together and I could have left here forever. Instead you made me pour it all down the drain. Just another Damon fuck up. Now face the music."

"You didn't have to let it all spill away. You could have drank it. You could have killed me and been done with it." Damon pointed out and Stefan paused to consider it.

"I like how your blood tastes, going back to human dinners would be boring. Besides, it's _your_ body I want."

"You need me. You don't even understand why do you?" Damon surmised. Stefan's humanity was fighting back somewhere inside of him, his connection to Damon. Stefan was being pushed to join with him and stay connected but he didn't realise it was because of love because he couldn't feel it consciously. Their bond existed because of love. If there was no love then there was no bond. Damon finally realised that. Stefan blinked at him.

"There's still something in you. Something that cares about me. You don't want to break our bond because of that." Damon squinted as he pondered and Stefan tensed. "I'm your connection to your life, that's why you're keeping me around. Without me you're nothing but a ripper. Nothing but Klaus's pet dog."

Stefan was over at his side in a second, punching him so hard across the face Damon fell onto his back again, but this time he smiled. That was evidence enough that Damon was right.

"We will see who the pet dog is Damon. I've always thought you'd look hot with a collar around your neck. I wasn't kidding when I talked about wanting to tie your legs in the air and have you whenever I wanted. Maybe I'll do that." Stefan warned and the smile dropped from Damon's face.

Stefan turned back to pulling some clothes out of drawers to take with them. Damon turned onto his side and sat up weakly. As he tried to get the energy to stand he remembered his secret compartment in his side table. He reached quietly and opened the door, searching inside for his stake. He'd put it here that first night when Stefan had come home and tried to seduce him. Now it was his get out clause. He'd wanted to stay alive so that he could protect Elena but he knew he'd never be able to do that now. Stefan would either have him locked away somewhere or catatonic. He couldn't protect her in those circumstances so now he had to think of himself. He carefully lifted the stake and aimed it at his heart. He took a breath and rammed it into his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry guys, I realise how dark this is. I'm surprising myself actually but I think we need to push this to the limit…

Chapter 6

Stefan pulled him backward as he staked himself and knocked him just out of alignment with his heart. He closed his eyes as pain wracked his body and Stefan shouted profanities at him. That's twice he'd been ready to be staked and this had happened. He lay still as Stefan fussed and pulled shards out of him. For a split second he had thought that there was a chance for Stefan until he had described his sick plans.

"Damon!" Stefan growled, holding his face and Damon stared at him blankly. The pain felt like it had numbed him finally. Numbed him to the fact that Stefan was gone. He kept deciding that he was done with this chase to get Stefan back and then Stefan would do something, say something that would reel him back in. His desperation to have him back was so strong it had been like a noose around his neck. He couldn't let it be anymore. The only person that mattered now was Elena. She was an innocent. Even if Stefan turned his switch back on now, too much had happened between them to go back to normal. Damon didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the hurtful things Stefan had said. He closed his eyes as he finally gave into that knowledge. It was over. Stefan shook him and he opened his eyes. He was holding out his bleeding wrist to him. The familiar pull of their connection vibrated and the scent of roses flowed but this time Damon found himself able to control himself. Stefan looked at him confused when he didn't reach for him.

_Drink!_

Damon closed his mind off. If Stefan could learn how to block him, so could he. He wasn't going to do this anymore. He turned his head away.

"I was only kidding Damon." Stefan huffed. "I won't do that to you." Damon turned back to face him. He didn't respond and Stefan frowned and lowered his wrist as it healed.

"I told you I don't want to hurt you. I was trying to scare you." Stefan continued, bothered by Damon's continuing silence. "Damon?"

_Say something Damon. Damon?_

Stefan frowned at Damon's radio silence and stood back from him.

"I can't feel don't you understand that? I'm compelled not to. Keep heading down this road, trying to bring me back to you and you're going to get us killed!" Stefan argued with the air as Damon kept silent, slowly turning onto his side and breathing at the effort.

"I don't care." Damon mumbled and Stefan paused in surprise. Damon fell silent again and Stefan stalked out of the room and blurred down to the cellar to retrieve a couple of bottles for him. There weren't many left now as he had smashed some more once he'd gotten up after Damon's kicking the other day. As he moved back up the staircase he felt that tear inside of him pull at him. He stopped and gagged, leaning on the banister for a minute. Damn Damon and his dramatics. He cleared his head and relaxed, feeling empty again. Damon trying to stake himself had almost doubled him over as the barrier was pushed to the limit. Damon had too much power over him, was too emotional and Stefan had to do something about that. He could see the fear that had filled Damon as he had described how he would have him controlled by Klaus. He'd thought that with enough fear Damon might be tamed but instead…more emotion. At the absence of his own now, he was finding it difficult to figure out Damon's actions, his motivations. No way he'd meant what he'd just said. He'd never give up on Stefan. Damon loved to his detriment, that was who he was. Klaus had scared him when he'd compelled him. Damon was just scared that was all. It had been useful to try to control him, but Stefan didn't want Klaus anywhere near Damon again. Klaus had too much power over his life as it was. The first chance he got he would kill that bastard. There were no allegiances without feelings, no sides to pick other than his own. He would survive no matter what, even if it meant he had to kill everyone else. It was the biological imperative.

He straightened up and put his hand further up the banister when he noticed blood on the back of his hand. He sniffed it. It wasn't Damon's blood. He touched his face and blood came away from his nose. He stared at it puzzled and wiped his nose gently. He'd never had a nose bleed before. It was odd. He wiped his hand on his jeans and returned to Damon's room. Damon was leaning against one of his bedposts for support. He looked up gravely as Stefan approached him.

"Drink up. We have to pack."

"No." Damon sighed and hung his head.

"You might not care whether or not I die anymore, but let me assure you brother that I will take it out on Elena if you cause any more trouble. If you try and kill yourself again, I will skin her alive." Stefan said and threw a bottle into his lap. Damon closed his eyes and winced. "On the other hand, come with me and be mine and I promise you I won't let Klaus kill her."

Damon looked up at him in surprise and disbelief.

"I give you my word I will protect her life. And…I won't let Klaus compel you to be a blood bag, that can be our deal." Stefan offered and Damon searched his eyes.

"Ok." He said after a long moment and began to drink the bottle. Damon felt broken. This deal was for Elena only. He knew that it might be the only way to protect her. His blood and obedience were his only bargaining tools now.

A whole day went past and Damon never spoke. Stefan had snorted at that, believing Damon to be trying to evoke a response from him but that wasn't it. Damon simply had nothing left to give. Elena had arrived in fear for Damon and Stefan had informed her of their travel plans. She had tried her utmost to get through to him but it was hopeless. The painful realisation that Stefan was gone finally hit her too and she and Damon had communicated this silently to each other. They were both subdued and full of grief as they climbed into Stefan's car and headed out to their unknown prison somewhere.

"Come on you two show a bit of thanks. You're still alive aren't you? Do as you're told and you won't get hurt." Stefan smiled at them, turning back to look at them as he drove. Elena held Damon's hand tightly as he gazed out of the window. She was so worried about him. She rubbed his leg and he turned to look at her sadly. She gave him a look of sadness and understanding and squeezed his hand before leaning into his shoulder and resting against him. He put his other arm around her and held her to him, kissing her head to comfort her. Stefan watched them in the mirror and bit his lip.

It was a long drive when no one was communicating and Stefan bored. Nothing seemed to stir Damon into talking, not even threats or jibes. Stefan didn't like it. They finally arrived at a large house in the middle of nowhere. They'd crossed two state lines to where Klaus had felt safer in his distance from Michael's impending search of Mystic Falls. Klaus came out to meet them happily and raised his eyebrows at the grim expressions they all carried.

"Has there been a funeral?" Klaus joked and Stefan smirked as he walked towards them. Damon and Elena stepped out of the car and waited.

"If you're looking for the ultimate buzz kill, I have two candidates right here." Stefan snorted.

"Damon nice to see you. Elena you look wonderful as always." Klaus commented warmly and politely and Elena held Damon tighter. "Please step inside, who knows what monsters are lurking around at this hour out here."

Klaus ushered them in, taking note of Damon's silence as they passed him. He looked to Stefan in question and Stefan shrugged.

"Your mate seems very subdued. I expected him to fight like an animal."

"He's just sulking."

"I'm sure a little passion will sort that out." Klaus smiled at him and Stefan nodded and looked after Damon as he entered the house. He squinted as he considered how strange Damon's behaviour was.

"Well, it's been a long drive for you all so I've prepared a room for you Elena. Damien here will show you the way." Klaus gestured towards a stranger with blonde hair who approached them stiffly. Elena looked up at Damon and Damon held her tight and growled at Klaus.

"So you are with us then Damon? Good, your mate will need some attention tonight if he's to get back to hunting for me tomorrow." Klaus smiled.

"He's not my mate anymore." Damon growled and Klaus folded his arms quizzically. Stefan frowned watching him with interest. Elena inhaled and squeezed Damon's hand before turning towards Damien and following him down the hall.

"Who's the suit?" Damon asked as he watched Damien walk away.

"One of my hybrids Damon. Good isn't he? Need to find some more like him. They're ever so obedient. Perhaps they could give you lessons." Klaus smiled and turned to Stefan. "Does he still need to be neutered?"

Damon bit his lip and scowled, holding himself together. _Think of Elena. _He told himself, chanting in his head and Stefan looked towards him. He quickly closed his mind off to Stefan again.

"I've got it under control." Stefan responded to Klaus and gave him a small smile as Klaus looked from one to the other.

"He doesn't look very happy Stefan. Remember a mate isn't just for Christmas…"

"Hmm." Stefan smirked and folded his arms. "Why did you call me back? I thought it was too dangerous to have us all together when you're trying to evade Michael?"

"I need more of Elena's blood and I have a few of my new family here to fight for me. Let him come." Klaus said calmly and Stefan nodded. "I have found another pack not far from here. We will go and turn them tomorrow so get some rest. Rejuvenate." Klaus chuckled and winked at Damon as he gestured for Stefan to follow him. Stefan began to walk and looked back at Damon. He raised his eyebrows and Damon began to follow them silently. Klaus walked them to a large suite and left them to rest for the night. Damon looked around the room nervously. There wasn't much here but a huge bed and some small trappings of furniture. The bed was evidently the focus. He gulped and shivered slightly as Stefan came up behind him and removed his jacket from him.

"Are you tired?" Stefan asked as he came around to look at him and began to undo Damon's shirt buttons.

"What's with the formality? Do what you're going to do and just let me sleep." Damon answered and Stefan looked at him, ceasing his movements.

"It doesn't have to be so terrible Damon. I'm not the enemy. Just give me what I need."

"What is that exactly?" Stefan resumed his work on Damon's clothing.

"You." Stefan said as he unbuttoned Damon's jeans and fly.

Damon felt a twinge of grief in his chest and he blinked it away. He wasn't going to do this to himself anymore. Stefan rid him of his clothing completely and stripped naked too as Damon prepared himself. Stefan gestured towards the bed and Damon climbed inside and lay still staring at the ceiling. Stefan climbed in beside him and turned towards him, sitting up. Stefan hovered over him and tilted Damon's head to the side, catching the scent of roses. He inhaled deeply.

"Are you going to stop bombarding me with emotions or do I have to start taking your blood and putting it into bottles?" Stefan asked and Damon looked at him.

"I don't care what you do, just remember our deal." Damon said tightly. Stefan looked at him unblinking and tried to push into Damon's mind. Damon turned his head away and blocked him. Stefan gave a sound of surprise.

"Very good." Stefan congratulated him in his blocking.

"Just do it Stefan." Damon grumbled and Stefan climbed on top of him as Damon tensed. Stefan rubbed their bodies together as he leaned into Damon's neck and bit down. Damon let out a breath and turned his switch off. Stefan gulped and kneaded Damon's chest with his hand as he enjoyed him. Damon looked up at the ceiling and tried not to think about what came next. Could he really lie here and let Stefan violate him? Was it really a violation when he had agreed to it? Perhaps not. He did have a choice. Not a great choice but still…

Stefan made sighs of enjoyment and pleasure and Damon realised that Stefan was feeling a strong wave. He closed his eyes, glad that he couldn't feel it. He didn't want it anymore. Stefan pulled up from him breathing heavily and licked his wound.

"Why did you turn the switch off?" Stefan asked.

"I don't want it." Damon said quietly.

"Why?" Stefan was honestly confused.

"It's not real." Damon mumbled and Stefan raised himself on his arms to look into Damon's face. Damon caught his eyes.

"It would help you if you felt it."

"Leave me alone and get on with it." Damon grunted and Stefan reached down and opened Damon's legs, moving them wide apart so that he could gain entry inside of him. Damon closed his eyes and waited. Stefan held Damon's buttocks and squeezed them gently as he lined himself up.

_Grief_

He halted and looked at Damon's face. He shook his head and pushed forward inside of him and Damon inhaled sharply. Stefan sighed in bliss and stayed still for a moment to enjoy the heat. He rolled his hips a little and Damon turned his head away. He began to move in and out slowly and leaned forward to place his hands on either side of Damon's shoulders. Damon made a sound of grief and Stefan tried to ignore it.

"Get involved and you will enjoy it Damon." He breathed and Damon's face relaxed and became empty. He thrusted for a few minutes enjoying the connection but Damon lay like a sack of rocks and for some reason it bothered him. He slowed and leaned down to Damon's face, pressing their mouths together. Perhaps this would make Damon come around. He kissed Damon's lips and stroked down his chest but Damon didn't respond back to him, instead becoming tenser.

"Don't you want me to make this good for you?" Stefan asked and Damon shook his head. "I don't understand you."

"What does it matter?"

"Just because I don't feel for you doesn't mean I want you to lie here like a rag." Stefan huffed and Damon chuckled incredulously.

"I thought you were done sleeping with me. Don't I push that barrier too much?"

"You're pulling at me. I don't have a choice."

"I'm not doing anything. I don't want you." Damon sneered at him. Stefan's nose began to bleed suddenly and they both blinked in surprise as Stefan put his hand over his nose.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." Stefan paled and pulled out from him to sit up. Damon sat up in and watched as Stefan went to the en-suite bathroom and retrieved a tissue. His nose was really gushing and he had to tilt his head to stop it. Damon pushed himself back against the headboard as Stefan frowned and paced.

"So what's the plan superman? How long are you going to let Klaus keep us all here like servants? You know he'll probably kill all of us, so why are you helping him?" Damon braved and Stefan shot him a dangerous look.

"I made a deal for _your_ life. Elena is just leverage." His voice was muffled by the tissue.

"Nice. Beautiful sentiments actually and what about me?"

"You're mine."

"Am I supposed to be comforted by that?"

"He won't touch you." Stefan wiped his nose, satisfied that he had stopped bleeding and moved back over to the bed. Damon slid back down onto his back in preparation, but Stefan climbed in behind him and turned him onto his side so he could spoon him. Damon turned and let Stefan do what he wanted, expecting him to push into him from behind but instead Stefan lay his head into the back of Damon's shoulder. It was almost couply.

"I don't feel right." Stefan sighed. "Make me feel better."

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"You love me, you always know how. Do something."

"That ship has sailed Stefan." Damon mumbled. He expected Stefan to threaten him or force him into sex. Stefan stroked over his stomach gently, surprising him and began to scent Damon's back and neck. It was such a wonderful feeling to be scented and he'd missed it so much. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to allow himself the memory, before he had to focus on something else. He couldn't let this tenderness affect him, it wasn't real.

_Damon..._

Damon gritted his teeth and didn't respond. Stefan curled into him, making a groaning sound.

_Please lick me._

Damon snorted and ignored him. Stefan pressed himself against him and nuzzled into his neck, falling asleep as Damon lay awake.

By the time Damon awoke the next morning Stefan was gone. _Probably out running around for Klaus. _Damon snorted. He got up and showered before venturing out to find Elena. He wasn't sure what the 'rules' were. Was he allowed to leave their room? He was sure that someone would pin him up against a wall or would try to anyway, if there was a problem so fuck it. Elena was in a huge dining room, surrounded by food. She dashed up when he entered and hugged him to her.

"Are you ok?"

"Are _you_ ok?" She responded, looking at his face and he gave her a small smile. She pulled him down into a seat beside her as she squeezed his hand.

"Please talk to me." She whispered gently and he flicked his eyes to her. "Damon, I'm scared."

"I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered and cupped her face as her eyes filled with tears.

"It's not me I'm scared for." She replied and he frowned and closed his eyes.

"Stefan's never coming back Elena." He said with certainty and she caught his hand in hers and held it to her lips as she kissed his knuckles.

"I know that. It's you I'm scared for Damon." He blinked at her and she sighed. "Don't let this break you. I can see it in your eyes." He looked down at their hands intertwining them. "You know how much he loved you. He wouldn't want you to lose yourself."

"It's doesn't matter anymore, as long as you're safe." He smiled and they both jumped at a large crash coming from another room. Damon jumped up and pulled Elena with him as they headed out to see what the problem was. Had Michael found them? He held Elena behind him protectively as they edged out of the room into a large hallway.

"Damon…" Elena warned and he shushed her. They crept along the hall until they rounded a corner to find Stefan leaning against a wall trying to catch his breath. He looked towards them as they watched him. He'd fallen against a large vase in the parlor and still looked unsteady on his feet. Klaus rounded the other corner and went to him.

"Are you alright mate?" Klaus looked over at Damon and Elena. "Did you try something Damon?"

"He's been with me. We found him like this!" Elena spoke up. Klaus looked back to Stefan and Stefan stood up straight.

"Have you been bitten?"

"No."

Klaus pulled Stefan face up with his hands and checked his eyes frowning in confusion. "Go to him. Fix yourself." He instructed and pushed Stefan towards Damon. Damon tensed as Stefan made his way to him. He was unsteady on his feet and looked ill.

"Fix him Damon." Klaus barked and Damon opened his mouth to growl when Stefan collapsed in front of him. Klaus and Elena both dashed for him to check on him but Damon stood and watched. Good riddance.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Stefan?" Klaus asked and Elena frowned at the tenderness reflected in his voice. He almost looked as if he cared about Stefan. Stefan opened his eyes and looked up at them.

_Damon…_

Damon turned his back coldly and walked away back to their room and Elena stood up conflicted.

"Damon?" She called after him. She had the feeling she'd missed a lot more than she realised in her absence from their lives the past few days. She knew that Stefan had been treating him badly and without love but it wasn't like Damon to walk away. It was as though he didn't care anymore and that terrified her. She looked down to Klaus and they made eye contact as Stefan struggled to sit up.

"Damien, take Stefan to his room, make sure Damon is there." Klaus ordered and stood up as Damien rounded the corner and lifted Stefan. "Miss Gilbert I think we need to have a chat."

He guided her past the dining room where her abandoned lunch lay untouched and into a smaller room with an IV stand waiting. She paused when she saw it and felt fear radiate through her.

"I need some more of your blood and I thought this the easiest way for you." He explained and she held her breath as she approached it and sat down in the chair next to it. "It won't hurt." He assured and she nodded and focussed on a spot on the wall as he pierced her skin and inserted the tube. She winced and bit her lip.

"Tell me about Stefan and Damon, about their mating." He said and she looked up at him.

"I thought you knew everything there to know about mates." He frowned.

"I've never seen this. They are different. They die together or alone once the other has died, they don't get ill."

"What did you think was going to happen? You turned Stefan into a monster. It must be affecting their bond." She hit back and he paused thinking it over as she felt herself feel a little dizzy. He looked to the bag filling at her side and nodded. He'd take one pint. It should do him for a while.

"They've been through so much and now you've destroyed everything they had." She felt grief fill her, remembering the look of disinterest on Damon's face as Stefan collapsed. "Their bond is breaking." Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke and Klaus tensed and removed the IV from her arm. He seemed bothered by this turn of events.

"What is Stefan to you?" She probed and he stopped fidgeting with the blood bag and looked at her. "Out there, it seemed like you cared about him."

"That doesn't sound like me now does it?" He smirked but she wasn't convinced.

"Not having his humanity is killing him. If you cared about him you would release him." She braved and he scoffed at her.

"I don't need him anymore, I have my hybrids."

"Then why keep them here?" He smiled at her and clicked his tongue thinking it over. "What if I told you there was a way to break their bond. Would you let Damon go home safe?"

"Perhaps." He said slowly and her heart began to race. This was the moment she could bargain with him.

"They have some blood from another mate. If they both drink it, it will sever their connection. They can both live."

"And you just happen to know where this blood is?" He leaned into her space intensely and she gulped.

"Damon has it. He wouldn't tell me where it was."

"Hmmmn. How inconvenient. Perhaps we can get it out of him with a little persuasion."

"He won't tell you anything! He might tell me though."

"Yes he just might. He's fond of you too. Strange little triangle this. You must feel a little out in the cold now that they have mated to each other and no longer need you." He smiled wickedly and she tensed. He nodded to himself, seeing how much this truth was affecting her.

"I have a condition."

"Oh do you now? And what makes you think you have anything to bargain with Miss Gilbert?" His tone took on a threatening manner and she held herself tight.

"I've been drinking vervain. You can't compel me to tell you where the blood is. If I can get Damon to give me the blood, you spare him. Let him take enough to break the bond and let him go free. You won't need him anymore."

"And what about darling Stefan?"

"The Stefan I know is gone. He chooses his own fate now." He straightened up and walked around her considering her proposal. She held tight and tried to stay as confident as possible while she waited.

"Damon goes and you stay. That's the deal."

"I understand that. Leave Damon alone, swear you won't go after him or hurt him." He came to a stop in front of her and smiled. She shivered not knowing whether his smiles meant he was being amiable or had cruel intentions.

"You know, you're not as weak as I thought you were." She bit her lip. He nodded. "Ok we have a deal. Get me that blood and let's end this."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damien had brought Stefan in and had lain him down onto the bed as Damon had waited. Stefan didn't look good and although he felt as though he should feel something, anything, he just…didn't. He wasn't sure why. He wasn't even numb, he just didn't care. Stefan on the other hand seemed to be fighting off emotions.

"Damon please, it hurts! I feel like I'm being pulled in two!" Stefan cried and reached for him. Damon sat in a chair by the window and sighed.

_Help me Damon._

"What do you want me to do about it?" He asked and Stefan's veins protruded.

"Feed me please, hold me!"

"You want me to hold you? That sounds a little sentimental." Damon remarked as he rose slowly and approached the bed. Stefan whimpered as he climbed on to the bed and pulled Stefan into his lap. Stefan held onto him tight as Damon bit into his wrist and placed it to Stefan's mouth. Stefan drank hungrily holding his arm. Damon turned the switch off and looked around the room in boredom as Stefan began to sigh. A knock sounded at the door.

"Damon it's me. Can I come in?" Elena asked and he called her in. She looked down at Stefan as she entered. She would have to be careful how she did this.

"How is he?" She asked and Damon shrugged and winced a little as Stefan bit a new wound into his wrist.

"Why is he sick?" She came to the side of the bed and Stefan opened his eyes and growled under his breath at her proximity. She took a step back as Damon chuckled at him in disbelief.

"He doesn't want you to touch me." Damon explained and she nodded in understanding. "How should I know why he's sick?"

"Is your bond breaking?" He looked at her, eyes wide in contemplation for a second before shaking his head.

"It doesn't work like that. One of us has to die or drink from another mate for that to happen." She stepped closer to him again at his mention of mated blood and he shot her a quizzical look, quickly followed by comprehension. "Anne's blood is gone Elena."

"What?"

"Stefan poured it down the drain."

"No! Why did he do that?!" She panicked and Stefan growled at her as she came closer. Damon growled back at Stefan angrily.

_Cut it out!_

He channelled and Stefan broke his contact with his wrist and looked up at him.

"Did you pour all of it away?" She directed at Stefan and Stefan scowled at her. What the hell was she interrupting his feeding for anyway?

"It's gone." Damon answered for him and she shook her head and turned her back, pacing as she tried to think of another plan, anything, to get Damon out of this.

_More._

Stefan channelled, trying to sit up and push Damon onto his back.

"Elena, you better get out of here. He needs to feed." Damon advised and she turned to look at them again. Stefan pushed Damon backwards and climbed on top of him. Damon lay back almost looking bored and tilted his head to allow Stefan access. It was so unlike him just to lie back and let this continue. What was wrong with him?

"Ok." She said feeling torn and left the room as quickly as she could as she heard Stefan moan in rapture and drink noisily as Damon looked up at the ceiling disinterested. Something wasn't right here and she couldn't figure out what. She went back to the dining room looking for Klaus. Anne's blood was gone, but there had to be something else she could do. Klaus was eating at the table. She stopped in her tracks in amazement and watched him. He glanced up and began to chuckle at her reaction.

"Yes, I can eat if I want to Miss Gilbert. How goes your little mission?" He gestured for her to sit down. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to think.

"The blood's gone. Stefan poured it away thanks to his lack of humanity."

"Well that's disappointing news." Klaus took a sip of wine from a glass as she rung her hands together under the table.

"I have another proposition."

"Indeed? Do regale me love." His eyes brightened and he gave her his full attention.

"Make Stefan turn his humanity back on."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because he's sick and none of us know why. Damon says it's not their bond causing it but I think it is."

"Go on…I'm rather enjoying your mind today." He jested.

"I wondered at first if Stefan having no humanity would make Damon the same because they're so linked but Damon didn't change. They've always been like magnets so what if they are pulling at each other because they are opposites? Like…like tectonic plates or something."

"Interesting idea." He commented and she thanked her stars that she had paid at least some attention in physics class this year.

"If you make him turn it all back on, then they will stop pulling each other." She explained. He steepled his fingers over his mouth as he thought on it. She held her breath as his mind whirled. He stood up abruptly and she rose unsure and flushed with adrenaline to the point where she was shaking. Klaus didn't say anything, just began to leave the room so she quickly followed behind him as he headed back to Damon and Stefan's room. He didn't knock as he arrived at the door, just pushing his way inside as she followed hot on his heels.

Stefan was feeding from Damon's neck still and Damon appeared to be day dreaming. Stefan pulled up growling as they entered.

"Stefan come here." Klaus commanded and Stefan hissed. "Now." Klaus compelled and Stefan became dazed and climbed off of the bed and went to him. Elena moved around them from behind and went to Damon's side.

"What's going on?" He asked, sitting up a little groggy.

"Stefan, I want you to turn your humanity back on." Klaus compelled and Damon gasped in shock. Was this really happening? Elena held his hand tight as she high fived herself inside her mind.

"No!" Stefan made a pleading sound and everyone looked at him in surprise. "Please don't…"

"Stefan you _will_ turn it back on." Klaus reiterated and Stefan turned to glance at Damon. Elena was positive she saw fear in his eyes. Damon looked back at him blankly. "Now Stefan."

Stefan made a whimper and blinked rapidly. Elena's heart was in her mouth as she waited. Stefan sucked in a breath and fell to his knees. Klaus stepped backwards and looked over to Damon.

"Fix him." He advised with venom in his tone.

"It's not my problem." Damon said sounding bored and Elena looked to him in shock. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows at her expression. "What?"

"His humanity is back on." She pointed out and Damon shrugged and looked over at Stefan who was hyperventilating with his back still turned. "But…he's back, he's yours again." She stumbled and Stefan finally turned his head and looked around at him as tears spilled down his cheeks. Damon exhaled.

"Doesn't change anything." Damon said and even Klaus exhaled in amazement. Stefan closed his eyes and hung his head as he sobbed. Elena looked at Klaus as she began to panic.

"Blood share. Now." Klaus barked at Damon and he sighed and got up from the bed, kneeling down in front of Stefan. Stefan searched his eyes. Damon didn't look him in the eye, merely pulling Stefan forward into his neck and holding him there until Stefan put his arms around him and bit down. Damon found a spot on Stefan's shoulder and sunk his fangs in too, gulping down. No one spoke. Stefan pulled up from Damon's neck and Damon withdrew his teeth as they looked at each other. Damon gave him a tight smile and a pat on the arm as he stood up again and Stefan swallowed painfully. Damon was blocking him from his mind and he had no idea what was going on. Damon had never been able to do that when they were blood sharing before.

_Damon?_

"All fed and watered. Off you go little minion." Damon said and Stefan coughed violently into his hands, startling them all as he looked down at a pool of blood coating them. He looked up at Damon in fear and coughed violently again groaning as he spat out more blood.

"What's happening?!" Elena cried and Klaus rushed to Damon and pushed him against the wall angrily.

"I said fix your bond!" He growled and Damon smirked at him.

"Bite me."

"Damon!" Elena cried and Damon sighed bored as Stefan coughed again. "Have you turned off your humanity?"

"Turn it on Damon." Klaus commanded, compelling him. Damon blinked rapidly and Klaus stepped backwards to give Damon a view of Stefan's trembling form. Damon blinked and looked up to Klaus again.

"It's not my problem." He said and Elena put her face in her hands. Klaus frowned in confusion and fury and grabbed Damon by the throat, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Don't hurt him!" Stefan begged as Klaus leaned so close to Damon's face, their noses were almost touching.

"Something isn't right here." He said. He looked sharply to Elena. "How did they mate?"

"They were locked in a basement and had to feed on each other." She answered rapidly in fear.

"Then what?!"

"I..I don't know..I" She stumbled.

"We were kidnapped. Experimented on!" Stefan added, holding his stomach in pain as he felt nausea creep in.

"No, it's something else!" Klaus yelled now and squeezed Damon's throat. Damon's eyes bulged and he choked at the pressure.

"What have you done to yourself? What kind of spell have you done?" Klaus hissed and Damon turned scarlet and choked.

"He hasn't done anything!" Elena shouted and Stefan gasped in realisation.

"The spell!"

"What spell?!" Klaus turned to him and roared as Stefan looked to Elena. He grunted in pain and she finally realised what he was talking about.

"Stefan died. We did a spell to bring him back!"

"What kind of spell?"

"Bonnie used Damon's life force to bring him back." She explained. The chips were falling into place.

"She split him in two to bring me back." Stefan added and Klaus released Damon and let him fall to the ground holding his throat.

"She spilt his soul in half to revive you?" Klaus asked and Stefan nodded. Klaus looked back to Damon and bit his lip. "Being demagnetised has separated both pieces of him." He surmised.

"What does that mean?" Elena asked and Klaus huffed.

"Only he can repair it. It seems you have the emotional centre Stefan." Klaus advised and Stefan swallowed. That was why Damon had become less and less affected by his feelings. As they had been pulled further and further from each other, Damon's soul had separated.

"Damon…" Elena beseeched and Damon got up still rubbing his throat and looked at them all.

"What will happen to me?" Stefan asked Klaus.

"You'll die. Both of you."

"That'll put a nice kink in your plans." Damon rasped smiling.

"Stefan loves you again Damon. Stefan do something!" Elena said and Stefan got up onto his feet shakily.

_Damon…_

Damon looked at him as he walked over to him and cupped his face with both hands.

_It's me. It's me. Pain. Grief. Desperation. Love…_

"Please forgive me. I love you so much. Don't do this Damon." Stefan begged as Damon's face remained blank. He began to sob and leaned into Damon's mouth to kiss him. Damon kissed back a little and Stefan rubbed their noses together.

"I won't be your blood bag anymore." Damon said, keeping his face tight. "You can all go to hell."

Klaus roared and clenched his fists.

"Wait! Don't you get it? You did this to them! Why would he want to join with him again when the result would be the same? You have to let them go!" Elena shouted. "Please!"

Stefan hung his head. It was over. Klaus had no reason to save them. Stefan was just muscle, he wasn't important. If he couldn't perform his function to Klaus what did Klaus care if he and Damon perished? Elena and Klaus were staring each other out fiercely. She knew there was something Klaus wasn't telling. There was some reason that he had wanted Stefan with him and she was willing to bet that he wouldn't want Stefan to die.

"Let them go and I won't fight." She said and there was absolute silence in the room. "You don't need any of us here drawing attention to you. Let us go home and I will send you a pint of blood every week for the rest of my life."

Klaus snorted and Stefan and Damon looked to Elena horrified.

"I swear on their lives. If you hold up your end of the deal then I'll hold up mine for as long as I am alive." She stood up slowly from the bed and kept her gaze on Klaus confidently. "It's your choice. Let them die and have to deal with the attention that I create around us wherever we go, or let us all have our lives back and get what you want from me without any drama."

All eyes turned to Klaus.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

All eyes fell to Klaus as they awaited their fates. Everything depended on him now.

"Why would you do this for them?" He regarded Elena calmly.

"They are my friends. I love them." She added and Stefan turned towards her with emotion spread across his features. Damon leaned back against the wall closing his eyes, feeling exhausted and drained and Klaus looked to him.

"And what benefit would I gain from you two if I should accept this offer? Your obedience?" Damon snorted loudly. Stefan sighed at Damon's lack of interest in their continued existence.

"We won't come after you. As long as you don't hurt Elena. If she wants to give you blood willingly, I won't stop her." Stefan said. Klaus nodded and tilted his head considering when there was a commotion in the hallway. The door burst open and Damien's body flew through and landed in a heap before their eyes. Klaus stepped back in shock and became defensive.

"Hello Nicklaus. Still hiding behind others I see."

"Father!" Klaus gasped, stepping backwards again in fear. Stefan moved against Damon and beckoned Elena to them. She went to his side and leaned against him.

"I've been searching for you for a long time." Michael zeroed in on Klaus with hatred and malice in his eyes. Before Elena could even breathe again, both men lunged at each other and were a tangled mess of colour and limbs flying through the air and crashing into furniture. They seemed to be equally matched as they struggled on. Stefan looked on in awe. He had never seen fear in Klaus before and it wasn't just fear of being killed. Klaus's fear seemed psychological too as Michael whispered to him and taunted him like only a family member could. Stefan gulped and looked behind to Damon as he recalled the fear they had had around their own father Guiseppe when he would beat them or threaten them. Damon was watching the fight with interest and paying Stefan no heed. Stefan gave a small groan of pain as he felt a pull at his heart again and had to turn away from Damon to recover. Klaus's body flew at the wall and they dashed out of the way as he landed painfully. Michael ignored them completely and dove for him with a stake in his hand. Everything went into slow motion as Stefan's heart thumped. If Klaus died they would be free, but then this Michael character may turn out to be much worse. If Klaus feared him then what might it mean for the rest of them if Michael should decide after this that he wanted the rest of them dead too? At least with Klaus they knew what they were getting and he might accept their deal.

Michael raised his arm to stake him and Stefan acted without another second thought and went for Michael, twisting his head until he slumped onto of Klaus. Damon growled in fury and pulled Stefan backwards in anger and outrage at what he had done. Elena began to sob. Klaus panted and looked up to Stefan in surprise before quickly rolling Michael off of him and grabbing the stake. It didn't look like an ordinary stake and Stefan doubted it was, not if it could kill an original. He aimed the stake high and stabbed Michael through the heart. Michael's eyes flew open and he screamed as flames burst through his body. They all stood back as his body was consumed and reduced to ash before them.

"Goodbye father." Klaus mumbled. No one moved. Klaus turned back to Stefan. "Thank you my friend."

"What have you done Stefan?" Damon growled.

"He just saved your miserable life. Go. I accept your offer. Come after me in any way and I will change my mind Damon." Klaus threatened. Elena sighed in relief.

"Thank you." She said and Stefan gave Klaus a small nod of his head.

"We were friends once you and I. I had to compel you to forget our bond of brotherhood. I'd hoped that we could be that again, with you by my side as I build my army. There will always be a place for you if you want it." Klaus spoke earnestly and Stefan gave him a tight lipped nod of understanding even though he couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. Right now all Stefan could think about was getting them the hell out of there. Klaus stepped aside to inspect the pile of ash that had been his greatest fear and tormentor and Elena pulled the two of them out of the room. Neither of them spoke as they left the mansion and reached Stefan's car. Stefan bent over as he coughed violently and Elena held him. She looked to Damon. Damon huffed and climbed in the back seat as she rubbed Stefan's back.

"Talk to him. You have to reach him." She whispered and held out the rear door for him. He climbed inside and she got into the driver's seat and prayed this trip back home wouldn't end with her having two dead bodies in the back.

_Damon please…_

Stefan channelled as he squeezed Damon's knee. Damon looked at him blankly.

_I need you…_

Stefan sighed in tiredness and leaned down to lay his head in Damon's lap. Damon allowed it and Stefan curled his body into himself.

_It's always about your needs._

_Love, love, love…_

_No. This should have ended when you died Stefan. I can't do this anymore._

Stefan squeezed his eyes closed and began to sob silently. Damon placed his hand over Stefan's back as a comfort, unsure as to why he felt it necessary.

"Damon, we're free. He won't come after you anymore." Elena piped up upon seeing Stefan's distress.

"Whoopity doo." He said sarcastically.

"Are you really just going to let us die?" Stefan asked.

"I'm not _letting_ anything happen Stefan."

"Damon your soul has separated. Only you can fix this again." Elena advised and Damon exhaled. Stefan turned so that he could look up at Damon from his lap. Damon looked down at him.

_Why would I let you become part of me again? Do you remember what you did to me?_

Stefan blinked fresh tears down his cheeks as he recalled it all – using Damon like a sex toy, beating him, attacking him and the things he had said…He couldn't separate one emotion from another as it all rolled through him in every terrible detail. He felt like his heart could explode with pain. He just couldn't hold it in.

_Grief. Horror. Shame. Pain. Regret. Desperation. Pain. Regret. Pain. Regret. Self loathing, self loathing, self loathing…_

Damon gasped at the intensity of the emotion Stefan was channelling and brought his hands to the sides of his head in discomfort as his nose began to bleed. Stefan couldn't stop the outpouring though, despite Damon's discomfort.

_Pain. Longing. Pain. Regret. Regret. Regret. Love, love love love love…_

Damon cried out in pain and began to pant and Elena pulled the car over swiftly and opened the door to attend to them. She looked at Damon and cried in fear as blood started to trickle out of his eyes.

"Stefan stop! It's too much, you're killing him!" She shouted, pulling at him. Stefan was locked inside of his head though and didn't respond, his eyes fixed on Damon as Damon panted. "Stop it!" She yelled, punching Stefan's leg as hard as she could when Damon sucked in a deep breath and lay his head back exhausted, dropping his arms from his head. He breathed erratically and Stefan sat up and leaned into his neck as though he were in a trance. Stefan sniffed around Damon's collarbone gently and nuzzled him before biting down and drinking. Elena stood back, watching for any pain or resistance from Damon. Damon allowed the feeding and seemed to drift off to sleep as he relaxed. Stefan pulled up and looked at his face.

"Is he ok?" Elena asked trembling and Stefan looked to her as though he'd forgotten she was there.

"I don't know." He gulped. He placed his hands around Damon's back and turned him so that he could lie him down along the seat. "Get us home please." Stefan said and she nodded, closing the door again and jumping into the driver's seat. Speed limits be damned, she was going to drive them home at 120 if she could. Every cell in his body was pushing him to keep feeding and try to connect again that way but he was so tired and Damon's body was warm against his. Stefan lay down on top of him, curling into him and nuzzling his neck and fell asleep.

It felt as though all he had done was blink and suddenly they were home again as he opened his eyes. Elena was talking to him but he couldn't understand the words. It sounded as though she was speaking under water. He frowned and got up, looking down at Damon. Damon was still out. He pulled himself out of the car with effort and lifted Damon into his arms as they went inside. He struggled under the weight and had to wake Damon at the door. He just couldn't lift him up the stairs and he felt pitiful and useless. Damon was groggy but he climbed the stairs and flopped down onto their bed. Elena kept talking to them both but neither could grasp what she was saying. She seemed to realise this and looked at them in fear and anxiety. Stefan went over to Damon and immediately began to undress him. He needed contact in every sense, skin, blood and soul. Damon opened his eyes but didn't struggle. Stefan kept an eye on his facial expressions as he stripped him, in fear of making Damon feel as though Stefan was going to try to sleep with him. He tried not to ponder on what that must have been like for Damon. He just couldn't deal with it all right now, he had to get Damon to fix their soul first.

Elena lingered for a few minutes, turning on water in the bathroom as he stripped down till they were both naked. It didn't occur to him that she would therefore be exposed to two naked men when she came out of the bathroom, all he could focus on was Damon. He climbed on top of Damon again, pulling their blankets around them and lay his head into the crook of Damon's neck, kissing his skin gently.

_Damon…_

He looked at Damon's face and saw the streaks left from the blood tears. He kissed his way up his cheeks and began to scent his face, clearing away traces of them. Damon watched as he did so.

_No._

_Damon I love you. Please…_

_No._

_Please, we can get through this._

_I can't._

_You can. We've both hurt each other so much through the years. We can get through this too!_

_It was all true._

_What?_

_Everything you said._

_What?_

_I did kill our mother._

_You were a sick child Damon._

_It's still true. Everything…_

_I was trying to hurt you. I didn't mean it._

_You did Stefan, even when you talked about what you could do to me. You meant every word._

Stefan began to sob and Damon looked up at him blankly. Stefan didn't know what to say. He sat up and looked away.

_I'm sorry. Damon, I…_

_I can't join with you. I don't know how anymore._

_Let me make love to you. Feed from me._

_Or?_

_What?_

_Are you going to force me to?_

Stefan inhaled in pain. It felt like he was breathing glass. He didn't want to die. He didn't want Damon to die. The only way to stop it was to join the pieces of their soul together and the only way he knew that would happen was if they joined all of themselves. Should he force Damon to if it was the only way to make Damon feel again? Could he force him? He thought back on his attempt to from the previous night again. Damon had let him inside of him although he hadn't wanted to share his body. He'd lain and given himself over to someone who'd shown him no love without even the remotest chance of anything other than slavery. Stefan couldn't even comprehend it.

_I won't force you._

Damon seemed to relax a little and Stefan lay down on his side facing him. He wanted to show Damon how much he loved him. He'd never force Damon into anything he didn't want. He had so much to make up for. Damon turned towards him as they looked at each other.

_If we die, we die together. Like always. If that's what you want._

"Stefan." Elena's voice interrupted their channelling and Stefan looked over in surprise. How long had she been standing there? She looked as though she was full of electricity, her attention on him was so fierce and charged.

"What?" He asked and she withdrew something from behind her back and held it up for him. He sat up gasping and Damon turned over to see what the fuss was about. It was the essential oil bottle - the one that Damon had been keeping Anne's blood inside. She stepped forward with it as their eyes widened.

"It didn't all drain away. There's still some at the curve of the neck of the bottle." She demonstrated, holding it up so they could see. Stefan heart began to thud loudly and Damon's sped up too. Thanks to the shape of bottle Damon had picked, once the majority of the blood had escaped it left a small reservoir inside the neck that held the rest. The enormity of it struck them all into silence. Elena looked to Damon who was pale and breathing harshly as he stared in disbelief.

"It's your choice now Damon." He looked to her wide eyed. "No one else can make it for you. No one is forcing you either way. You are both still alive, no one is holding you captive now. This is all on you. What do you want to do?"

Damon took in a deep breath and looked to Stefan.

_Love. Absolute trust and devotion._

_I…_

_I love you. I will accept whatever you decide._

Damon turned back to Elena torn and in distress.

"You can drink this and live as a normal vampire again and be free from your bond, but Stefan's part of your soul and the only thing keeping him alive is a connection to you. You could join your souls and be brothers again, without being mated or you can choose to join again, heal your soul and live still mated."

Damon looked at Stefan and Stefan lowered his eyes. Damon seemed to calm a little and Elena felt her heart quicken in fear that he would chose against the bond. She couldn't let him make that decision without putting it into full perspective. She had seen how much they loved each other, how important their bond was and how much stronger they were for it, despite its disadvantages. If she could have had that with either one of them she would have accepted it in a heartbeat without worrying about future repercussions.

"Damon, it's your choice but think about this. Maybe it's your bond that's keeping him here alive. Maybe if you join your soul he'll be ok without your bond but maybe he won't." She advised and he paled. The truth was they just didn't know. Was it their bond that was tethering Stefan here? Stefan had died, truly died. If they severed the bond that connected their bodies would Stefan die because his soul couldn't connect without their bodies being mated? Damon sighed and put his head in his hands.

Elena sat down next to Damon on the bed as she spoke gently. She could see how much torment he was in and she placed her hand over his heart to calm him. "Listen to your heart Damon."

Damon made a sound of anguish as his heart shuddered. Small trickles of emotion were beginning to register in his chest and he was afraid of letting it all back in. His nose began to bleed and he wiped at it fiercely as Stefan sat up and tried to comfort him. Klaus had said that Damon would die without joining their souls too. They had to do something now.

"Damon, join us again and then you can decide what you want to do about our bond." Stefan stroked through his hair and Damon grunted non-commitally. Elena put the lid on the bottle and sat it down at their bedside cabinet. She gave Stefan a quick nod of reassurance and left them to talk.

"No." Damon croaked and Stefan sighed in pain. What was he saying no to? "I can't."

"Weren't you the one who always felt like you had no choices? Now all the choices are yours." He soothed and Damon squeezed his eyes closed in anguish.

_Desperation. Reservation. Agony._

Damon looked as Stefan channelled. His Stefan…His little blood machine.

_Do you still love me?_

_I don't know Stefan. I feel lost. _

They fell into silence for a while, Stefan stroking Damon's hair as Damon stared off into nowhere. Damon turned to look at him fully.

_You would have let him do it wouldn't you? Turn me into a vegetable again._

Damon posed and Stefan's whole expression turned to one of agony as Damon watched him.

_Yes._

_I thought so._

_Grief. Heartbreak._

_Heartbreak. Fear. You would have tied me down and forced yourself on me._

_Yes. Grief. Pain. Desperation._

Stefan placed a shaky hand on Damon's arm as he trembled with emotion.

_How am I supposed to feel about that?_

_I don't know. Damon I can't…I don't know what to…it wasn't me._

_It was exactly you Stefan. Having no humanity doesn't change who you are, just what you hold back._

_Are you going to let us die?_

_No._

Stefan's eyes lit up a little but Damon shook his head.

"We are going to live but I don't know if I can do this Stefan. We need to take this slow."

"We'll still be mated?" Stefan croaked and Damon nodded.

"We can always feed and live as brothers again." Damon said and Stefan couldn't hold in the sound of grief that clutched at his heart. He bowed his head as he tried to control himself.

"I don't think I can do that. I love you too much." He spoke with his head bowed, unable to look into Damon's eyes.

"Ok." Damon said and Stefan looked up at him in anguish. Was that all he was going to say? "Do you want to take the blood with me?"

"No!" Stefan burst, shaking and put his face in his hands. "Not after everything. I can't lose it. Please Damon…I'm begging you. Let me show you that you can trust me again, let me prove to you. If I can't be with you I couldn't bear it. It's always been you, my whole life..." He reached over and cupped Damon's face, stroking his cheekbones tenderly as Damon fought with himself.

"If I was to stay your mate it doesn't mean I'm yours." Damon struggled and Stefan nodded sullenly. "I love you so much it's almost killed us again." Stefan perked up a little at the confession of love but Damon wasn't finished. "I won't let you hurt me like this ever again. Not _ever_ Stefan. I _will _drink this blood if I need to." Damon finished and Stefan nodded. Damon relaxed a little and brought his hand up to Stefan's face, stroking his jaw.

Damon was still afraid but he'd made his decision. He just wasn't sure what to do now. He channelled this uncertainty to Stefan and Stefan pulled him down onto their sides. They lay looking each other over. For once in his life Stefan could actually feel his instincts instructing him, perhaps it was because he had the majority of the emotional side to this soul between them. He raised his hand up and Damon placed his hand against his and interlinked their fingers. Stefan's discomfort seemed to ease a little. Touching would help, but he knew Damon wasn't ready for sex. That would be a privilege Stefan would have to earn now.

_Do you remember the view from our apartment in Chicago? How we could watch the sky change from our bed at night? See all of the colours melt like a painting._

Damon gave a small smile and nodded.

_I used to wish that I could paint colours like that. As though they were on fire. I would have loved to have been able to paint the view over father's land on the summer nights._

_I never knew you wanted to paint._

_I always thought you'd make fun._

_I would have probably._

_It seems like so long ago we were human._

_It was._

_We've been together for a long time Damon. You've always been with me, looking after me, loving me._

Damon looked to their intertwined fingers and sighed.

_They say you can only really hurt someone that you truly love. I wanted to hurt you, to frighten you because you made me want to feel. You made me want to be with you._

Stefan's eyes filled with tears.

_I can't imagine how you felt when I did those things to you._

Stefan looked into his eyes and Damon frowned.

_Let me feel it. I don't want you to suffer it alone._

Stefan pushed. Damon shook his head in disbelief. Did Stefan really want to re-live Damon's memories of everything that had happened between them lately? Stefan pulled their hands to his mouth and kissed Damon's knuckles, conveying his need to know and Damon closed his eyes and focussed on sending everything to him as one long memory. Every awful minute of Stefan's ill treatment, of his vicious behaviour and every word he had spoken in an attempt to hurt Damon, he sent to him. He almost didn't want Stefan to see it through his eyes and he squeezed his eyes closed as he felt Stefan tighten his grip and gasp in agony. Damon opened his eyes slowly but couldn't look at Stefan's face. He concentrated on his collarbone instead and watched his chest rise and fall as Stefan struggled to deal with the emotions he was feeling. He let out a sob of misery and separated from Damon's hand as he turned away from him and curled into himself.

Damon leaned forward and placed his lips onto the nape of Stefan's neck.

"How can you even look at me?" Stefan sobbed half way between anger and revulsion. "You should have killed me." He whispered and Damon felt his heart throb. He slid his arms around him and held him, kissing his neck and trying to comfort him as a warm heat began to fill his chest. He held onto Stefan tight as he shook with sobs, until he calmed.

_You're not that person anymore little blood machine._

Stefan slowly turned around to embrace him and Damon held him, kissing his shoulder and stroking his back. Stefan returned the kisses around his neck and began to inhale the rose scent as it began to increase in potency. At least their bodies found it easy enough to connect. Their hearts and mind were another matter. Damon licked over Stefan's neck and bit down, unable to stop himself and Stefan closed his eyes and relaxed into it. The wave was small but it rolled through him, making him feel sedated and warm. He made groggy sounds of relaxation and Damon pulled up and looked at him, still holding him.

_Why are you still everything in my world, even after all of this?_

Damon channelled and Stefan gave a weak smile as he felt his head tilting back in tiredness. His body was so sick from their separation. Damon pulled him on top of him and guided him to his neck to drink and Stefan sighed in relief that Damon was finally healing their rift. He bit down and drank as delicately as he could, while he felt his limbs warm. The blood wave began to intensify and Stefan pulled away lest he be too tempted to become sexual. He wanted Damon to feel in control.

They kissed gently for a few minutes in that position, Stefan barely touching him. The more relaxed Damon became the more heated and he climbed on top of Stefan and stroked his outer thigh and hip gently as they deepened the kisses. This wasn't so bad. He had been so full of lust of late that Stefan had forgotten how wonderful it was just to kiss and be close like this. Love didn't always have to surround sex. How had he forgotten that? Slowly and gently Damon let Stefan touch him more, stroking his skin and kissing his shoulders. They rolled around being gentle and exploring each other's mouths delicately until Stefan felt the urge to lick come upon him. He wanted to scent Damon so badly, but Damon hesitated. Stefan caught the look of uncertainty in his eyes and paused.

_I love you so much Damon. Please give yourself to me._

Stefan channelled, sitting up to lean in for another kiss but Damon pulled back a little. Stefan had taken so much from him already and given nothing back but pain. He cupped Damon's face slowly and Damon closed his eyes. Stefan leaned in and rubbed their noses together.

_Drink me, lick me. Use my body to join us again in whatever way you need. I'm yours._

Stefan lay back and pulled Damon down with him as he arched his back and bore his throat again, simulating as submissive a posture as possible as Damon stroked his sides, affected by the scent drifting to his nose in waves. Damon didn't hold back any longer. He leaned into Stefan's chest and ran his tongue upwards to his throat. Stefan sighed peacefully and Damon's head buzzed from the pheromones. He began to scent Stefan's chest, taking particular care over his nipples as Stefan made soft moans of encouragement. So much of their sex life lately had been geared towards Stefan's pleasure and need to feed, now Stefan was insisting that Damon lose himself and trust that he could do whatever he needed. Stefan wanted him to focus on his needs for a change. Still, he felt torn over whether he should be so selfish. He made a sound intimating these feelings and Stefan lifted his head and looked at him. Stefan let out a guttural sound of encouragement that sent shivers down Damon's back.

He began to scent Stefan's neck and throat urgently, unsure of which desire he was trying to fulfil any longer – joining their souls or strengthening their bond. Suddenly none of it made any difference. Stefan was his and he was here and consenting for Damon to do what he needed. Damon felt an intense feeling of love wind him and he struggled to breathe for a minute as he adjusted. Stefan waited patiently in understanding.

"I want you." Damon whispered.

Stefan squeezed his arms tightly with a renewed sense of urgency. He so badly wanted that too but he hadn't wanted to push.

_Damon, please. I need you inside of me._

Damon raised his eyebrows and Stefan nodded, his face flushing. Stefan was practically begging and Damon watched as Stefan's face got redder. Damon kissed his throat sloppily and bit down to drink as Stefan's body lit on fire inside.

"Uhhhh!" Stefan arched and moaned as he drank. Their blood wave was insistent on joining physically now and Stefan couldn't fight it. He panted desperately. He wanted to blood share but all he could think about was having Damon inside.

_Damon please please…uhhh please!_

Damon growled under his breath and drank more as Stefan became wild and urgent, clawing at him and trying to reach beneath and guide Damon towards his entrance. Everything was so intense. Damon pulled up from his neck and growled, his vampire face on display and Stefan stopped. He groaned in need and begged Damon with his eyes. Damon bit down into his neck again and sent the blood wave to rob Stefan of all his faculties. Stefan actually began to cry as though he would explode, the sensation of need was so intense.

Damon pulled up and kissed his mouth hungrily, as he grabbed him and moved him up against the headboard into a seating position. Stefan felt ready to burst.

_Put it in, please put it in…_

He begged and Damon spread Stefan legs wide and bent them upwards, tilting him backwards as he leaned in towards him.

_How much do you want it?_

Damon growled and Stefan felt like he could weep.

"Please, please…" Stefan cried.

_Never hurt me again Stefan. Never. Promise me!_

Damon growled and Stefan's face calmed as they made eye contact. Stefan channelled him every possible assurance he could. He bombarded him with devotion and certainty. Klaus had sworn to leave them be and Stefan trusted that now. It would take something else like this happening to them again to make Stefan ever do anything to hurt Damon. Damon's gaze was fierce and Stefan closed his eyes and sent Damon an image of Damon staking Stefan. Damon pulled back a little and Stefan reached and held him to him.

"If anything ever happens again I want you to kill me. If I am not me anymore, then let it be over." Stefan spoke without any uncertainty and Damon softened a little and nodded. "That's how much I trust you and your love for me."

Damon smiled and filled him in one movement. Stefan gasped at the movement and closed his eyes. Damon leaned his hands against the headboard and began to thrust into him. The headboard meant that Stefan was in the perfect position to allow Damon to take him as deep as he wanted without having to support his weight so Damon began, making the headboard shake as Stefan gasped and held his legs upwards. It was a difficult position for Stefan, the thrusting was so deep and intense that it made him unable to do anything more than moan and gasp. Damon's body moved before him, twisting and plunging inside and Stefan looked up into his eyes to see such carnal lust there, he knew Damon was lost in heat.

Stefan cried loudly as Damon hit his prostate and Damon leaned down and began to kiss him sloppily. The kisses were welcomed but Stefan couldn't quite reciprocate as Damon hit his prostate repeatedly, turning him into a shaking mess as he moaned. It was so intense Stefan didn't think he could bear it and he whimpered and struggled. Damon kissed him again and whispered in his ear.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No! Uhhh, it's just so deep…" Damon pulled out and pulled Stefan down onto his back again and twisted him so he could enter him from behind now. Stefan leaned back into him kissing him as Damon began his thrust again. Stefan closed his eyes in bliss and Damon began to pump his member in time with his thrusting. Stefan panted and squirmed.

Love! Love, love…

"Uhh!" Stefan climaxed and Damon growled, flipping him over again as Stefan recovered. Damon spread his legs and leaned down to suck and lick at Stefan's sex. He wanted everything Stefan had and Stefan yelped at the contact in surprise. Damon seemed like a man on a mission as he scented his sex and tilted him further upwards to claim his entrance too. Stefan's head spun as Damon channelled thoughts to him so carnal and animalistic that all he could do was channel his consent. Their thoughts weren't even words anymore, just images and emotions all jumbled together.

Damon spent the rest of the night claiming him in every way imaginable, throwing Stefan around the bed and taking him in every position he could think of until Stefan was raw from being penetrated and exhausted. Damon hadn't been able to stop but it was ok. Their separation had pulled them apart so dramatically, being forced back together had overwhelmed their brains. The growing red veins that were once their saviour, never returned. In truth Stefan had secretly hoped that they would, that they would bind them together again and ease some of the discordance that Stefan still felt, but Damon had been right. Their bodies could join easily enough but the damage to their relationship would have to be healed over time and at their own volition. It wasn't going to be easy.

They slept in each other's arms, Stefan's head in Damon's neck peacefully. Stefan's whole body throbbed but it was worth it. He woke first and lay tracing around Damon's lips with his fingers. This was the first night they had slept together as themselves in so long. He thought on what their lives had become, this constant chase of death or separation following them. He knew it was because they wanted to stay here in Mystic Falls. Elena drew attention that endangered them, but she was a glowing light in their lives. She was worth staying for. At every difficult turn in their lives she had been there to save them. When Stefan had returned heartbroken after breaking up with Damon and leaving him in Chicago, it was Elena who had gotten him through it. When he had died it had been Elena's refusal to let both of them go that had spurred Bonnie to perform the spell that had brought Stefan back to life and now she had traded her precious blood, for the rest of her life so that they could be free from Klaus's control. A basket of muffins just wasn't going to do the trick here. He'd have to think of some other way to thank her. Perhaps the best way was to devote themselves to her protection, never leaving her to face whatever threatened her or those she cared about.

Damon hummed at Stefan's light touches and opened his eyes. It took a second for him to focus but when he did he pulled back a little apprehensively. Stefan let him and tried not to feel hurt.

_It's me. It's your little blood machine._

Stefan channelled and Damon watched him for a few seconds before he relaxed again. It must be so hard to try and reconcile his face with that of who he really was, not who he had been of late.

"You did it. I feel good again. You healed us." Stefan whispered and Damon gave a small smile. "What now?" Stefan braved, hoping Damon wouldn't insist they return to brother status. Damon seemed to think about it for a few seconds before he answered.

"We live and we heal."

"What about the blood?"

"We lock it back in the safe as far away from us as we can."

"Klaus knows that he could use it against us now. We will have to be careful." Stefan pointed out and Damon's eyes widened slightly as he considered that. He didn't want to have any more vulnerability. He got up from the bed and Stefan watched in interest as he lifted up the bottle from the side of the bed. Just Damon's proximity to that blood and what it represented made Stefan feel on edge. Damon opened the bottle and Stefan's heart began to race as he lifted it to his nose and took a sniff. Stefan made a sound of fear and Damon glanced over at him, before walking away with it into the bathroom. Stefan shot up out of the bed and blurred after him in fear. What was he doing? Was he going to drink it?

"Damon?!" He cried as he grabbed Damon's shoulder.

Damon spun round to face him as he tipped the blood into the sink. Stefan watched the blood swirl around the basin. Damon reached over and turned the faucet on, washing it all down the drain as Stefan stood frozen. Something about the movement of the water was so hypnotic and it took Damon stroking the side of his face before he snapped back into reality. They fell into silence as they looked at each other.

_I can't be your brother._

Stefan raised his eyebrows in response.

_I know it'll probably kill me for real eventually but I can't not have you Stefan. I would have stayed with you even if you had forced me. There's no world without you._

Stefan leaned into him and rubbed their noses together as his whole body relaxed.

"Amen…you know I don't have a pet name for you." Stefan chuckled against Damon's cheek and Damon snorted.

"I'm not a pet, I'm an animal! It'd have to be something sexy." Damon teased.

_Hmmmn. We'll have to work on that._

_I look forward to it little blood machine._

FIN


End file.
